Before Dawn, The Night is Darkest
by justawriter33
Summary: Up close, Remus's eyes were amber. A very tawny, dramatic amber. In fact, Annabel could feel herself melting under his gaze... "Annabel, why are you drinking gravy?" Sixth Year, RL/OC. (A/N: I am planning on finishing this and then massively editing, so just hang on for 10 chapters or so and everything will be fine.)
1. You want me to run into a wall?

**Edited on 1/22/13**

* * *

><p><span>Before Dawn<span>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

* * *

><p>Annabel looked dubiously at her dad, and he gave her an encouraging smile.<p>

"You want me," Annabel said flatly, "to run into a wall?" She cocked an eyebrow at him.

He nodded.

"Dad, did you take your medication today?"

Instead of telling his daughter off, John just laughed and ruffled her hair. Annabel cringed and ducked down, trying futilely to keep her father's hand away from her hair. He _knew_ how much she hated it when he did that, and it irked her when he kept on ruffling her hair. It was incredibly annoying. "I know, you think your old dad is crazy and possibly insane. But believe me – that's what you're supposed to do! In fact, when my parents told me to do it, I thought they were crazy as well!" He smiled at her. "Just trust me."

Annabel grimaced. "It's never a good thing when you're like a boy," she told her father.

John laughed some more. "Annabel, have some trust in your apparently crazy father."

"Da-a-ad!" Annabel whined, stomping her foot pathetically. "Stop fooling around and please, _please_ just tell me the real way already! This will be my first day at Hogwarts! I'm supposed to be excited and _you're_ not supposed to be playing tricks on me."

"I resent that," her father said. "But, fine." His voice was dramatic. "I shall show you the real way."

"Finally!" Annabel said, pouting.

Her father winked at her and then walked into the brick wall and disappeared into it.

Annabel stared at the wall for a while, jaw agape and wondering, _what just happened_?, when she happened to notice the time. It was only around ten minutes until the train departed, and her father had warned her that the train was notorious for leaving without straggling students. So Annabel cringed, shut her eyes, and ran into the wall.

"Dad, wait for me!"

* * *

><p>Annabel found an empty compartment somewhere around the middle of the train. Everyone around seemed tall and older, and she had to practically drag her suitcase around with her, which, she might mention, was getting heavier by the moment. There were sixth years kissing and she wrinkled her nose at them.<p>

When she got to the compartment, she dropped the luggage with a sigh of relief, and then put the owl next to her. She lunged towards the window and waved at her father through it just in time. The train was moving. There was a blur of faces as the speed picked up, and then free, open country.

Only ten minutes into the journey, she was bored.

It wasn't at all how she'd expected her first day at Hogwarts to go - weren't things supposed to go a little more smoothly? Instead, she was sitting alone in a compartment, hearing the faint chit-chat outside. She didn't even have an owl to converse with, for crying out loud. (Annabel wasn't one for pets.)

She was contemplating going outside and wandering around for a while when the compartment door slammed open.

"Whoops!" A sheepish, red-haired girl with dazzling green eyes stood there in the compartment door. Behind her was a sallow-faced boy with stringy, black hair and a hooked nose. "I'm sorry. I didn't know this one was taken. I guess we'll just be going then."

"It's alright!" Annabel said, giving a huge grin that hurt her face. "I don't mind. I'm Annabel Foster. And you are?"

"Lily Evans, and my friend here is Severus Snape. Though I call him Sev," the girl said briskly, taking Annabel at her word and sitting down. "Goodness gracious! Why is your luggage on the floor?"

Annabel looked at her, confused. "Goodness gracious? Who's gracious?" Then it clicked. "Oh, are you a Muggleborn?"

"A what?" Lily asked.

"A Muggleborn," Annabel pointed out. "It's someone with nonmagical parents."

"Oh. Yes, yes I am. Is there a problem with that?" Lily gasped. "Oh my God! Does that mean that Muggleborns have less magical potential than all of the hereditary wizards and witches? Does that mean that we're not going to be as successful as all the other people, and that we're not going to be at the top of the class? That's awful! I would never want to be anything like that!"

Annabel stared at her, momentarily lost for words. Then, she recovered. "Um, okay. Lily, the first thing that you need to know is that wizards and witches don't say, 'Oh my God'! They say, 'Oh Merlin' or 'bugger'. Anything like that."

"They don't teach wizard slang in books," said Lily, frowning.

"From all the muddle that you were saying, the only thing that I could pick up on was the part where you were worrying about Muggleborns having less...less _potential_ than us purebloods or half-bloods. We all have the same magic...I think..." Annabel said, her brow puckering. "How about you? Do you know anything about it?" she asked, addressing Severus, who seemed to be surprised to be dragged into the conversation.

"We all have the same potential," Severus said, and Annabel frowned slightly when she realized that his voice was icy, resentful. But Lily said nothing, or noticed nothing, just grinning obliviously to her friend's hatred towards a girl that he had only just met. "I had no idea that no half-blood knew that. How foolish."

"What are you then?" Annabel said, trying to make her voice the same level of coolness as his. It was a struggle. "Muggleborn, or pureblood? Because from the way you described me as a half-blood, I have a feeling that you don't like half-bloods very much."

He simply sneered at her. "I am half-blood," he said, sticking his great hooked nose up in the air. "And what are you?"

Annabel shrugged. "Well, my mother was half-blood, and my father had a father who was half-blood and a mother who was muggleborn, so frankly I have no idea. Maybe I'm a quarter blood?"

"Rubbish," Snape scoffed. "There's no such thing as a quarter blood."

"Then what would I be called then?" she challenged.

Lily was watching us with a faintly bewildered look on her face. When she heard the trolley, her eyes lit up again. "What's that bell?" she asked curiously.

Her question was answered a mere moment later when a woman called, "Food from the trolley?"

"Ooh!" Annabel said, excited once more. "My father said that the trolley was delicious! He said that the food was superb, but I'd have to be careful with Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans. He said-"

"Yeah, yeah," Snape interjected. "We get it. Your father says a bunch of stuff about Hogwarts a lot. You don't need to drill it in."

"_Sev_," Lily said.

"I'm just telling the truth!" Snape said.

Annabel took out her money bag, which was halfway full, and then took out a few sickles and took some pumpkin pasties, candy, and even a little meaty thingy that looked pretty good. Lily mimicked her, taking everything that Annabel had. Severus just took some dark sandwich out of his pocket and bit into it. It made a crunching noise and Annabel fought not to gag.

_Seriously?_ Annabel thought, eyeing his sandwich._ Gross. _

"We met these awful boys in this other compartment," Lily told Annabel, rolling her eyes. "They were horrible! They made fun of Sev and me and started calling him Snivellus! Isn't that so very cruel?"

"Yes," Annabel said, nodding and trying to keep her face straight. Because Lily seemed like a really nice girl, even if she was friends with one of the biggest gits that Annabel had ever seen, and she was someone that Annabel wanted to be friends with – if only to keep them from being enemies. "Did anyone tell you that you have really pretty eyes?"

Lily blushed. "Thank you."

They chatted about Hogwarts, and then Snape asked the question: "What house do you want to be in?" Annabel pressed her lips together when she noticed that he was pointedly not looking in her direction and was asking Lily. "I personally want to be in Slytherin," Snape said, his dark eyes boring into Annabel's as if to dare her to speak up against him. "Got a problem with that?"

Annabel decided to join the conversation after all. "Of course not," she said, matching his cool tone, "but personally, I want to be in Gryffindor."

Snape scoffed. "Like those prats in the other compartment?"

Annabel scowled. "Hey, Gryffindor is where _I_ want to be. Got a problem with that?"

Snape's mouth twisted. "Funnily enough, that's what the other boys said. Lily, she's obviously just like them. Let's go."

"Why?" Lily protested. "Annabel's nice, Sev! Why don't we just stay here? Just because she wants to be in Gryffindor doesn't mean that she's bad."

Snape grumbled, but then kept an eye on Annabel for the rest of the ride. Annabel ignored him and chatted with Lily instead, laughing and talking with her about books, magic, spells, teachers and who they hoped would be their roommates. ("It's all-girls, right?" Lily asked, aghast at the thought that they might have unisex dorms. "My mum would _kill_ me if I dormed with a boy." To which Annabel laughed and assured her that yes, it was all girls or all boys and nothing in between.)

The train stopped and then they were ushered onto boats and then sailing across a lake. The spray hit their faces and made Lily's hair all dewy and felt cool against Annabel's flesh. Then they waited outside the doors to Hogwarts, and the doors opened with a slow, majestic creak that Annabel thought was befitting of a magic school. A strict looking woman with dark brown hair pulled back into a bun on top of her head and perfectly pressed emerald green robes stood there. Everything about her screamed of strictness.

"First Years, this way. You will be sorted into your houses, and then you shall eat. After that, follow the prefects."

There was a snickering behind Annabel, and she turned around. Two black-haired boys were laughing to each other. Both were undeniably good-looking, and the one with glasses saw Annabel and smirked at her. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the woman.

"I am Professor McGonagall, and I will be your teacher for Transfiguration."

"Brilliant," Lily muttered to Annabel, grinning at Snape, and then the doors to the Great Hall were opened.

* * *

><p>The first thing Annabel thought of was <em>"Wow"<em>. The ceiling was the sky, with its sluggish night-blue clouds obscuring the stars, and there were candles floating in mid-air above the students. Professor McGonagall led the way, and there was an old ragged hat sitting on a stool. Annabel looked at it. There was a wide rip near the brim, and she wondered why no one threw it out already.

"When I call your name, you will come up here, sit down and put on the hat," Professor McGonagall said. "Black, Sirius!"

One of the good-looking guys came up and Annabel watched him put the hat on, wondering what it would do.

The rip at the brim opened wide. "GRYFFINDOR," it roared.

Shocked silence reigned through the halls, with a few hesitant claps. People stared at him, but Annabel noticed that a white-blond haired boy was glaring at him from the green snaky table-Slytherin, she remembered. The boy-Sirius-didn't seem to care, holding his head high as he strode to the Gryffindor table, students moving over to clear a space for him, or maybe to stay away from him.

Professor McGonagall didn't seem to notice, continuing on as if she was oblivious to the stunning silence after Sirius's sorting. "Bones, Amelia!"

A severe looking girl with completely incongruous pigtails went up and placed the hat on her head. "HUFFLEPUFF!" it shouted.

"Carrow, Amycus!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

After that, Annabel lost count until Lily went up.

"Evans, Lily!"

A moment later-"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Take _that_, Snape!" Annabel muttered to herself and then felt guilty, as it was obvious that Snape held Lily in high regard. Then again, it was also obvious that he held anyone _not_ Lily in low regard and she felt considerably less guilty.

"Foster, Annabel."

Her knees were knocking together, her hands were sweating _buckets_, though that sounded gross, and she was sure she had turned a pasty shade of white. Tottering forward, she sat down and had the hat placed on her head.

_Well, what happens now?_ she thought to herself.

_Normally, I place the person after looking through their thoughts and deciding where they should go...hmm...where should you go? Do you want to go to Hufflepuff?_ She stiffened. _Relax, I'm the hat. You don't think that I just yelled out random houses, did you?_ A little more searching through her thoughts and the voice became accusatory. _You did._

_ Not Hufflepuff!_ Annabel thought fiercely, hoping that the hat could hear her. _I don't want to be in Hufflepuff! I want to be in Gryffindor! Hufflepuff is for..for.._

_ Don't even finish that thought._

_ Sorry. But please...please.._PLEASE!_?_

_ You would be good in Hufflepuff. Lots of esteem-boosters in there. _

_ Oh come on! Not Slytherin, though. I swear, I will rip you apart, Mr Hat, if you don't put me in Gryffindor. _

There was a large sniff of derision inside her head. _Oh well. I was going to put you in Gryffindor...hmph..._GRYFFINDOR!

The last word was shouted out and Annabel nearly collapsed in relief. She gently put the hat down, patted it, and then ran to the Gryffindor table, sitting down next to Lily. There were more people, and "Mary MacDonald," and "Fabian and Gideon Prewett" and a few more girls were put in Gryffindor when "Potter, James" was called up.

"Good grief," Lily muttered. "It's the king of prats himself."

Annabel snorted, amused.

The hat had scarcely touched his head when it shrieked out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

James Potter came down, beaming, and sat down next to Sirius or whatever his name was. "Mate, we're both in Gryffindor. Happy?"

"Very," Sirius said, grinning.

James turned his attention to Lily and Annabel. "And what do we have here? A pair of very fine ladies who-OUCH, MERLIN woman, what is wrong with you?" he said, glaring at Annabel, who held up her nose. "You just stomped on my foot."

"We're first years. Your 'suave' moves are not working on me!" Annabel said angrily.

"What about you, Slytherin befriender?"

At that moment, 'Snape, Severus' was called up and the hat yelled, "SLYTHERIN."

"Don't call her that!" Annabel snapped, coming to her friend's defense. "You're just an arrogant prat, and I would like to eat my first dinner here at school without being disgusted with you pricks!"

James stared at her for a moment, and then a smile spread across his face. "You know what? You have spunk!" James said.

Annabel stared at him. "I have, WHAT?"

"Spunk!" James said. "It's an awesome word to say! You try it, Sirius!" Within seconds, they were both saying 'spunk' when the sorting ended and an old man with a white beard stood up. Lily and Annabel, along with the rest of the students, quieted down, apart from James and Sirius. They were both saying spunk still.

"Spunk!"

"Spunk!"

"Spunk!"

"Spunk-a-roon!"

"Spunk-a-roony!"

"Spunk-a-doodle-do!"

"What're you, a rooster?"

"What're you, a spunk-a-roon?"

"Who's that?" Lily whispered to her.

Annabel gaped at the man. "That-that's Professor Dumbledore! He's one of the most powerful wizards in the whole world...I think I'm going to faint..."

"Oh," Lily said. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Annabel said, gazing rapturously at the Professor. "He looks so wise, and regal."

Finally, James and Sirius seemed to realize that they were the only ones talking in the silent hall, and then looked up. "Blimey, why is no one else talking?" James asked.

"Because Professor Dumbledore's talking, prats!" Lily hissed at them.

James and Sirius grinned at each other.

Dumbledore talked about places that were forbidden, and stuff. Annabel mostly blanked out during that bit. She returned her gazes to the empty golden plates, feeling her stomach rumble. Finally, he was done, and the golden platters filled.

"Merlin's pants!" Sirius said in awe. "It's like an all-you-can-eat buffet!"

Immediately, the two started digging in.

Annabel rolled her eyes. This was going to be an interesting first year.

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><p><strong>Review?<strong>


	2. Seasons Break: Autumn

_Autumn:_

_Year: 1977_

_Beginning of Sixth Year_


	3. First Day of Sixth Year

**Hello again! Here's a warning: These 'every day' updates aren't going to be, well, EVERY DAY. I just want the reviewers not to get tired of this story and wait until it's updated, which is why..well...I'm updating. Sigh. I'm a bit bothersome, aren't I? Well, at least these chapters are *significantly* longer than SSY's...in fact, these chapters are about four times as long as a regular chapter of SSY...**

**Yeah...I guess that means you guys will be happy. **

**NO MORE HUNDRED-CHAPTER STORIES! WOO HOO!**

**Read on..**

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><p>Before Dawn<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

* * *

><p>"Lily!"<p>

"Annabel!"

Annabel hugged her friend, Lily. "I feel like I haven't seen you for _weeks_! Hows that sister of yours?"

"Awful," Lily said, crinkling her nose. "She's engaged to this fat walrus that despises me."

"Oh," Annabel said, hugging her friend tighter. "I feel your pain."

"Do you, now?" Lily asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Excited for sixth year?"

"Yeah," Annabel said after a second of thinking. "I guess."

"It helps that you and I have grown out of our awkward stage during the summer, doesn't it?"

Annabel looked at Lily and smiled. "Yeah, yeah it does."

Lily's dark red hair fell past her shoulders in a glossy sheet, and her eyes sparkled proudly, her head held high. Annabel was envious of her friend's brilliance, because Lily was the top in _everything_, well, everything other than Divination, which they _both_ dropped this year because it was a pathetic class.

"Oh, stop ogling me," Lily said awkwardly, shifting from one foot to another. "You look amazing too! Even more amazing than me, if that's any help."

Annabel looked at herself in the shining side of the Hogwarts Express and wrinkled her nose. "I know, I look fab," she said, laughing to herself. Her light brown hair was grown out, and she knew she had a better figure. "Just joking. You look much better." Her blue-gray eyes had gotten more bluer over the years, and her face was heart-shaped, with delicate features. "I've finally grown into myself, haven't I?" she muttered to Lily. "I remember when I used to be this knee-knocking twerp with a scrawny face and knobby elbows."

"I know," Lily said.

"You used to be one too," Annabel pointed out.

"Don't remind me," said Lily, laughing.

"OH LILY FLOWER!" a male voice called out.

Lily's laughing face ceased and an expression of dread appeared on her face. "Don't tell me that it's..."

"Yep," Annabel said, grinning. "It's the King of Prats himself! He's alright, Lily, _really_. I've been telling you that, for about three years when I became on 'slightly better than acquaintances' terms with them."

"Oh yeah?" Lily asked. "What're their names?"

"Sirius...James...Recluse...and Peddler?" Annabel said hopefully. "I know that there's "Padfoot, Prongs, Moony and Wormtail," but for the life of me I can never really remember their names."

"Potter, Black, Remus and Peter."

"Ooh yeah!" Annabel said, perking up. "Remus is that wormy guy, right?"

"Noooo..." Lily said, giving one of those long-suffering sighs of hers. "That's Peter."

By this time, James had caught up to them. "Oi! It's ANNABEL DEAR!" He pulled Annabel into an affectionate hug, and she laughed and hugged him back. "You look beautiful!"

"But not as gorgeous as Lily, eh?" Annabel asked.

"Of course not!" James boomed. "My Lily is a goddess around us mortals! And I'm the god! Together we will have many god children!"

"Ex_cuse_ me?" yelled Lily. "God children-what are you, _five?_ And I'm not your Lily, you overgrown arse!"

James winked at her. "Denial is the first stage of attraction."

Recluse and Peddler were behind Sirius as he wrestled Annabel out of James' clutches and hugged her. "How's my favorite foster-child?"

"I'm the only Foster chid," Annabel said, laughing.

Lily was cringing away from James as he talked to her, looking for all the world to be as far away from him as possible. Annabel, feeling sorry for her friend, decided to jump in. "It's been awesome to see you, James, but we've gotta find Alice and Noelle."

"Ah," James said, looking a bit sad. "But we'll see you around, soon, right you girls?"

"Positive," Annabel smiled at them. "Well, gotta go!"

As they walked away, Lily gave a sigh. "You saved me from the wolves...but I think you tossed me to them again."

"Oh, don't be such a stick-in-the-mud, Lily _darling_," Annabel said. "James isn't evil or anything."

"You're right," Lily said and Annabel looked at her friend, surprised. Lily never complimented James. "He's so...much..._worse!_"

Annabel started to laugh.

* * *

><p>"Excuse me?" A pretty girl with sunglasses on stood in front of them. Annabel looked up and then immediately her gaze went to the girl's clothes, which were foreign and <em>revealing<em>, something that Annabel was confused about. Hogwarts didn't allow revealing clothes. A white lace top over a black camisole, and black mini-skirt. Her hair was blonde, long and shiny. "I was wondering if you knew where my friends Annabel and Lily are? Because they obviously don't recognize me."

Annabel laughed, and Lily gaped. "Noelle?" they both cried out.

"And me!" A girl with a sweet face and light brown hair poked her face from around Noelle's shoulder.

"Alice!" they cried out.

Noelle took away her sunglasses. "I got a new look over the summer-remember, I went to France?" Annabel tilted her head and realized that Noelle did have a rather french accent now mixed in with her British accent.

The clock chimed.

"Twelve already?" Annabel shrieked. "We're going to be late!"

They ran to the train just as the doors began to close. First Lily went in, then Noelle and Alice, and finally, Annabel came in, shouldering through the doors as the train began to move. Losing her balance, she started to fall out of the train.

"Aaaaahhhhh!" she yelled. "WHY AREN'T THE STUPID DOORS CLOSED?"

"Annabel!" Lily said, pushing James aside, but Sirius beat her to it. His hand lashed out and grabbed Annabel's and pulled her into the train. "Thank GOD Sirius! Annabel, are you okay? Sirius, I could _kiss_ you!"

"You know what," Sirius said with that sexy grin of his. "I'd love to have that kiss, but how about you give it to James instead?" James shot Sirius a grateful glance, and then turned to Lily with a hopeful expression.

"Not on this life," Lily snorted, tossing her head and walking away to find a compartment. Annabel turned to James, who was looking at her friend with a slack-eyed gaze, jaw dropped and glazed eyes.

"Oh, snap out of it, James," Annabel said, laughing. "I know that you like her, but if you want her to date you, you really have to try and...and...I dunno, play it like you don't like her anymore." _Ohh dear_. Her words seemed to have an affect on James, who straightened and grinned.

"You know, darling Annabel," Sirius said slyly, "we would love it if you joined us in our compartment for a bit." Before Annabel could refuse, James swept her up and tossed her unceremoniously into their compartment. "OH LILY DEAR? WE HAVE TO TALK TO ANNABEL FOR A SECOND!"

Annabel landed in a heap and then picked herself up and drew her wand. "I can hex you all in forty-five seconds at the most right now."

Sirius, lounging, just laughed. "Annabel dear, we just want to talk to you."

"And I could hex you in four seconds," James said. "Choose your pick."

"Talking to me my arse!" Annabel cried. "You're all jerks!" But she was smiling as she said it, and her wand tip was wavering. "Alright," Annabel said finally, putting away her wand in her skirt pocket. "What do you guys need exactly?" Recluse seemed to be uninterested, instead seemingly oblivious and reading a book.

"Well, we want to know if there's any way that you can set up Lily and James," Sirius leered, while Peter kept a steady gaze at her with glazed eyes.

"No!" Annabel said, feeling horrified. She glared at Sirius for all she was worth. "That would be...be...breaking my friendship with her and _hell_ knows how long we've been friends! That's just...jerkish of you! Absolutely prattish and prickish! How _dare_ you ask me to do such a thing! And...and...don't you have some prefect meeting to go to or something? It must be over by now!What about you?" She swirled around and pointed to where Recluse was, and he looked at his watch and sighed.

"She's right. I gotta go." He sauntered out and she, with one scathing look over her shoulder, followed him. Even though they were her friends/enemies by her other friends/and mates, sometimes they could be real pricks. James looked a little upset, and Sirius was blinking.

_Jerks_, Annabel thought savagely. They were utter prats, the lot of them. _Anyway, even if I DID try and help them, hell knows what Lily would do to me. Kill me? Toss me off the Astronomy tower?_

But... A plan started to form in her mind, and she ducked her head back into the compartment. "But," Annabel added begrudgingly, "I guess that maybe some times, when I hang out with you guys, I could drag Lily along."

The look of elation on James' face made her smile and she ducked her head back out, to see Recluse looking at her strangely.

"Prongs' going to be happy," he said.

Annabel rolled her eyes. "I hope I won't have to regret it. Make sure I don't, er..." She was going to say Recluse, but then thought that it would be rude. "Yeah." She finished lamely. "Well, got to go!"

She ran to the compartment where Lily, Noelle and Alice were and sat next to Lily. "I hate you," she snapped at Lily. "How could you leave me with them?"

Lily grinned. "It was easy."

"But how could you not want to be with the sexiest guy in the school?" Noelle breathed. "Sirius Black is a god."

They looked at her, until she grinned. "Oh come on, you can't honestly believe that I-"

"I'm flattered, Jonn," Sirius said, sliding the door open and winking at Noelle. Annabel covered her mouth from a laugh. "I never knew that you thought that I was a god. And the sexiest guy in school-but hey, everyone knows that!"

Noelle flushed, and Annabel laughed. "Oh, shove off, Black," she said playfully. "Go flirt with people who want it."

"Well," Sirius said, frowning. "You're pretty sexy yourself, Annabel. Why don't you and I hook up?"

"Ew, no," Annabel said. "That's gross. You know, not everyone here falls at your feet." With that, she shoved Noelle so Noelle fell on the ground on her hands and feet, looking like she was worshipping Sirius. "Apart from Noelle."

"Oi!" Noelle shoved Annabel so Annabel, laughing and shrieking at the same time, fell through the doorway and onto Recluse.

"That's it!" Sirius said. "You and Moony-Remus to you-can get together!"

Remus! Lupin! That was Recluse's real name!

Oh wait. Lily already told her. Whoops.

"Shuddup, Padfoot," Reclu-Remus said, helping Annabel back to her feet. "And Lily, Prongs is looking for you."

"Oh god," Lily said, covering her eyes. "Can't I _ever_ have a break?"

A smile quirked on Remus' face.

Annabel smiled gratefully at Remus. "Thanks, Remus. See you around!" With that, she slid into her compartment, shoved Sirius out with one quick foot, sending him stumbling, where she slammed the door and locked it.

Lily smirked.

Noelle giggled.

They chatted for a while longer about random stuff and spells that they had learned over the summer, and other things, and sang a song together that Noelle learned that made them laugh, giggling. Alice sighed after an hour.

"I hope that this year is more interesting than fifth year," she told her friends. Annabel looked up from the crossword puzzle that she was doing, putting it down gratefully. She had no idea what any of those words in the crossword were.

"What do you mean by that?" Annabel asked Alice.

"Well," Alice said. "It's just that...you know...fifth year was rather bland, if you know what I mean."

They nodded. They knew what she meant.

"Apart from the ending," Noelle muttered, giving Lily a glance. Lily turned bright red and looked away.

"And Frank!" Alice cried. "It's been six years and we're still just friends!"

"Well, these things take time," Annabel said awkwardly, patting her friend on the back.

"That's good for you all!" Alice yelped, covering her eyes. "But for me, you're all glamorous, but I'm just Alice." She stared at the floor. "Just Alice."

Annabel pursed her lips. "You know, you could've just asked me to be ugly if you really wanted me to be." She grinned. "It would have been fun."

Alice grimaced. "You're too pretty to do that, and I like you like this. But this year-I want this year to be special."

"Special," Annabel mused, and a grin appeared on her face again. "We can do that. But of course, we'll have to enlist the help of the Marauders."

Being the kind and generous friends that they are, she got pelted by clothes.

"Oh come off of it!" Annabel said. "They're not all that bad! I mean, sometimes they can be real prats, but for the most of it-"

"-they're actually fairly nice," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "We get it, Annabel. You're friends with them. As long as you're not plotting anything against me with them, then we're cool. You know that, Anna, and I don't even know why you're friends with them. Sirius is a downright-"

"-womanizer," Annabel finished for her friend. "We've had this conversation, what, fifty times? Noelle?"

"Eighty-three, actually," Noelle said, looking up from her notepad. They had started counting after the third time Lily and Annabel had bickered about the Marauders.

"So," Annabel said, leaning back into her chair, "Alice and Frank, Noelle and Sirius, and Lily and James..."

"OI!"

"You know it's true, Lily, but who's for me?"

They all stared at her for a minute, contemplating the question.

Alice shrugged. "There's no one who's like you, though, Anna."

"Oh, well, Alice, you and Frank would be adorable together, Noelle's French and Sirius is French, and they're both cocky, so I think that they would be nice together. No offense, Noelle. And Lily scorns James, who is like a puppy, which is why she'll be the dominating wife when she grows up. What about me? Do I have any opposites? No! Bloody hell, I'm going to be a bachelorette when I grow up! This is so stupid! I'm stupid!" Annabel covered her face. "Ach. I can't believe it's only been four hours, and I'm already having a breakdown.

"I know," Noelle said. "It's a record. Usually it's at least six hours before you break down."

Annabel peeked through her fingers. They were all used to it. Hell, Alice even had the audacity to be scribbling in her diary-her Frank diary to be exact-and wasn't paying at all any attention to her. "You guys could be a little more sympathetic."

"It's been six years, Anna," Noelle said with a yawn. "We're used to it."

Annabel didn't know whether to cry or laugh. So she groaned.

"Just date someone," Noelle said. "You'll be able to find out who you'd like. And I don't like Sirius! I just think that he's sexy, which is something that most girls think."

Annabel groaned again. "Wake me up when we're at Hogwarts."

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><p><strong>So? How'd you guys like it? Love it? Hate it? Want to pelt me with rotten tomatoes? Go ahead! I have an umbrella! *Authoress puts up her super-deluxe purple umbrella in front of her when angry reviewers pelt her with rotten tomatoes*<strong>

**Review?**


	4. On the Hogwarts Express

**Thanks for all the lovely reviews! This is the first, officially beta'd chapter from PhoenixFanatic999, thanks soooo incredibly much!**

**Read on.**

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><p><span>Review Replies:<span> The Magic Of The Night: Aww thanks, you were the one who won the contest, weren't you? For the name of this fic? You need to remind me to do your one-shot, because I keep forgetting! I'm glad you like Annabel's character. Hgromanticsap:I'm glad you like Secrets of a Seventh Year and you came over to check this story out! The Donut Eater: I already replied in a PM. Iamazombie97: Somehow I don't think you'll be reviewing this again..not that I'm mad, but generally, people who review first lose interest later on...Ah well, I'm being stupid.

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><p>Before Dawn<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

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><p>"Well, if it isn't Annabel Foster."<p>

Annabel turned around, affixing a forced smile on her face. "Clara Jurasa. It's nice to see you looking like a twig. I thought that St. Mungo's took you in for bulimia months ago. Care to prove to me that it wasn't true?"

Clara flipped her hair arrogantly. It was nice and glossy, blonde and to her waist in ringlets that looked fake to Annabel. Her laser-sharp green eyes bored into Annabel's. But she was thin, so thin that it was unbelievable, but looked natural on Clara. "Well, you could afford to lose a few pounds, Annabel dear. You're bordering on the edge of obese."

Annabel fought to keep the smile on her face. "And end up like you? Not in this life."

The false smile dropped from Clara's face and she glared at Annabel. "Girls would die to be me," she snarled in a deadly voice.

"I say, Annabel, what's going on?"

Annabel nearly sighed with relief as she realized who the person was. "Oh, hello Sirius," she said, trying to keep her voice light. "Fancy meeting you here. I was just having an idle chat with Clara Jurasa here. I believe you know each other? Indeed, I thought that she was the head of your fan club."

Clara was actually putting on makeup right now and beaming at Sirius and batting her eyes. "Sirius dear! It's nice to see you here." She reached up to kiss Sirius, but he leaned away, and she kissed the air. For a moment she looked embarrassed, and then she smiled. "Yes, trying for the air kiss? Mwah!" And then, checking her watch, she added, "Um...I have to go to my friends! See you later, Sirius dear?" With that she tottered away, not seeing Sirius' scowl.

"I don't know _what_ I ever saw in her," Sirius snarled in disgust. "She's such an airhead! Nothing like you, Annabel dear."

Annabel smoothed down her uniform and then smiled at Sirius gratefully. "I have never been happier to see anyone in my whole life," she said.

"I have that effect on women," Sirius said with a grin.

Annabel shoved her friend playfully. "Oh bugger off, you! Actually, I have to go grab the carriage with my friends." She threw her arms around Sirius. "Thanks!" With that, she let go and dashed over to the carriage where her friends were waving at her.

"What were you doing with Sirius?" Noelle asked when Annabel came.

Annabel wiggled her eyebrows at her friend. "Someone's eager to know."

Noelle rolled her eyes. "Please. It's not every day that you see your best friend hug a dude that is commonly known as the sex god of Hogwarts."

"That's the second time that you've referred me and sex together," Sirius commented, swinging into the carriage. "I feel like you want something from me."

Noelle covered her face, no snarky comment ready.

"What are _you_ doing here, Black?" Lily snapped. "Why aren't you going off molesting some poor fifth-year?"

Sirius smiled cheekily at Lily. "I never molest, Lily-flower. Women come to me readily, which is more than I can say about men to you!"

James jumped into the carriage, landing next to Lily, and then Peter wobbled in, sitting next to Sirius with a worshipful look on his face. Then Remus came in, almost _gracefully_, if the word could be used to describe a boy. Annabel watched him out of the corner of her eye.

"Why are you here?" Lily yelped, trying to edge away from Potter as far as she could, and into Remus. "Annabel, switch with me!"

Annabel sighed, got up and sat between James and Remus. "Hello, my fellow prisoners. What's Lily doing to torture you right now?"

"I wish that she would torture me," James said rapturously.

"Shut. Up. Potter," Lily said, a scowl on her face.

"With a bullwhip?" Annabel smirked, nudging James with her elbow.

"Yep."

"You two are idiots."

"Thanks, Lil."

When they went to Hogwarts, Lily was the first to get out of the carriage. "I feel like I want to kiss the ground," she said to Annabel, who had jumped out neatly after her. "Here I am, squashed between Black and Peter, with you and James cracking jokes about me, and it's claustrophobic in there, with a bunch of stupid BOYS in there. How the hell did you not crack, Annabel?"

"It wasn't that hard," Annabel said. "I was busy laughing with James and Sirius."

Lily wrinkled her nose like she had just smelled something bad. "Potter and Black? They're like pigs. Brutal, idiotic pigs whose sole intention in life is to annoy me." She scowled. "They're so immature, Anna, I don't know why you hang out with them."

"They're nice," Annabel protested.

"Let's not have this conversation again," Noelle groaned, slinging her arms around her friends necks. Alice ducked to put her arm around Lily, and Annabel laughed. "That will be the second time-today!"

Lily and Annabel looked at each other and laughed.

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><p>They went to the Great Hall, where they sat down and chatted among themselves. The Marauders-thankfully-seated themselves down the row, and we talked and laughed together. "I'm so glad we're back," Lily said, gazing rapturously around. "I mean, I love home and everything, but with Tuney and her horrid, obese boyfriend, I just want to say, 'Gah'! I can't believe that I'm actually saying this, but I'd rather take James over Tuney any day."<p>

"Why?" Annabel asked, only because she knew her friend would be dying to say why.

"Because with James, I feel absolutely no attraction with, and I find it easy to ignore him. Whilst, with Tuney, I'm her sister, and she's been ignoring me and only speaking with me when it was absolutely necessary!" She stared at her plate with a disgruntled look on her face. "This sucks. This absolutely sucks."

"I'm sorry."

The masculine voice was impossibly soft and concerned. Annabel whipped her head around to see a boy around their age, with short wavy blonde hair and soft blue eyes that were kind looking. She smiled at the boy, and then frowned. "Who are you?"

"I'm Blake."

Annabel smiled again. "Annabel," she said, holding out a hand. "It's nice to meet you. Now, were you eavesdropping on Lily?"

"That's Lily?" Blake said. "I'm new, but I've already heard of the legendary fights that she's had with James."

Annabel cracked up, Noelle smiled and Alice grinned shyly. Lily rolled her eyes.

"That's right," James said, standing up and glaring at Blake. "So keep your hands off her!"

"James!" Lily snapped. "Don't play the overprotective prat!"

"Peace," Blake said serenely, looking at James without blinking an eye.

_Peace?_

Annabel forced a snicker down and saw that Noelle was looking at Blake with glazed eyes. Oh dear. She pinched Noelle, who gave a sharp gasp and glared at her before looking back at Blake. "Um...James...?" James looked at her and she glared at him and mouthed, "_Remember what I said_."

James' face closed and he sat down. Annabel saw Remus looking at her, and she shrugged at him and gave an innocent smile.

"James is a little bit too protective," Lily said lightly, almost flirtatiously, to Blake, and James smoldered down the row.

"I'll bet," Blake said, smiling. _Merlin_, Annabel thought sourly_. Did he have to have such __gorgeous eyes_?

It wasn't like she hated Blake, it was just that she thought Lily and James would be an excellent couple together. I mean, Lily was stubborn and James would balance her out (though he was frightfully stubborn himself).

She heard Lily giggle in that way that she only giggled when she wanted a guy.

Annabel looked down, feeling her appetite drop out of her stomach.

_Screw you, Blake_, she thought.

After the first years were called, it was time for them to eat. James and Sirius blabbered on about how the first years were so small this year, puny really, and Lily hit James and told him to shut up.

Overall, it was a very productive dinner.

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><p>Remus knew that Annabel forgot his name and called him Recluse.<p>

He wasn't that insulted by it, really.

Actually, he had found out by accident at the end of fifth year when he picked up her book and she said, "thanks recluse," without really noticing what she said. And he, surprised, didn't say anything about it until he noticed that she never really called him by name, just talking to him directly.

So it was a relief when she finally learned his name.

Of course, he knew her name. She was popular, not very brilliant, and pretty. She also reminded him of a female Sirius, which is why he and James had tried to hook them up in fifth year. They had laughed, talked together, pretended that they were about to kiss-and then tore the invisibility cloak off he and James.

He actually didn't know Annabel that well. Sure, they exchanged chats now and then, but for the most of it, it was just, "Hi," or "Bye." Although Annabel was close with James and Sirius, she never really paid attention to Remus.

"Stupid Blake," James muttered sourly.

Sirius patted his back. "Cheer up, Prongs. It's not the end of the world. The worst thing that could happen is that-"

"Lily falls in love with Blake, forgets about me, gets married and has children with him?" James moaned.

"That's worst case scenario," Peter piped up.

"Yeah," Remus said. "And that will probably not happen."

"Well, look at the way Noelle, Lily and heck-even ALICE is looking at him! Like he's some damn rock star!" James said. "Annabel's the only one that's not looking at him with cow eyes."

"She's a sexy one," Sirius said with a wink. "And she has good taste."

"Shuddup Sirius," James said briskly. Sirius smiled and seemed to take it with good grace, and then his mood soured as he looked over to the Slytherin table. "Padfoot, it's none of your business."

"What? What's not his business?" Peter squeaked, trying to look backwards at the Slytherin table and at James and Sirius at the same time. Remus frowned and craned his head. Regulus, Sirius' younger, darker brother was talking with Avery and Mulciber.

"It's not your fault," Remus said. "Your brother has chosen his path."

"If only he would speak to me," Sirius muttered, eyes darting around the place. "I could maybe convince him. Tell him that he's making the wrong choices. He used to look up to me. He used to..."

"Padfoot." James' voice was quiet, but firm and attracted a great many people's attention. "It's not your fault. Moony's correct."

Sirius glowered.

As if all on cue, Lily, Noelle, Alice and Annabel stood up. Alice, Lily and Noelle sashayed out of the house, but Annabel hesitated, catching Remus' eyes and mouthing, "_Is Sirius alright?"_

Remus nodded.

Annabel nodded and walked out of the hall after her friends.

"Listen," Remus said. "The full moon is in three days, guys. I'm going to need your support again."

Sirius laughed heartily, and several girls swooned.

"We always support you, ol' Moony, with your furry little problem." And then he winked at an especially pretty girl with long yellow hair and brown eyes. "But right now, I have my own problems to deal with. And I know what will make them better."

He stood up and whispered something into the girl's ears, before leading her out of the hall.

The minute he was gone, Evan Tromble stood up. "Okay, who made the bet that he would get a girl within four hours of sitting in the Great Hall?" A boy with carroty hair stood up. "Arthur Weasley? Alright then!" He handed Arthur five Galleons. "Next bet-how many hours, minutes, or days will it be before he dumps her? Bets up!"

Remus, James and Peter snickered. Some things would never change.

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><p>Later that night, Remus sat in bed staring up at the sky.<p>

"Thinking about a special girl? Or is it a boy?" James asked, perching on the end of his bed.

Remus bared his teeth at his friends. "I'm straight, thank you very much. Padfoot goes through girls like he goes through those nasty aniseed treats."

"They're not that bad," James protested. "I like those sweets too, you know. And Padfoot isn't back."

"To a werewolf they are," Remus said and then sighed. "I wish that Padfoot would stop shagging so many girls. When they come whining and sniffling to us about how they miss their dear 'Siri-kins' and 'what did they do wrong', I have the strangest urge to laugh, feel mad at Padfoot, or comfort them."

"You usually run away, Moony," James said.

Remus grinned. "That's my specialty: running away like some wimp. Running away like the wimp I am."

"If you were a wimp, you wouldn't be able to do all those pranks," James said. "Which reminds me. I had an idea..."

Remus' grin grew bigger. "I'll go get the drawing board."

It was nice to be part of the Marauders.

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><p><strong>Review?<strong>


	5. Green Slime is Never The Way to Go

**Thanks for being so incredibly awesome, people! Lots of hugs for all of you! Also, forgot if I mentioned this before, but I'm a HUGE fan of Remus/Tonks as well, which is why I don't like Remus/OC fanfics that have Remus marrying the OC because I absolutely love Tonks. I just think that he would have a girlfriend in Hogwarts, don't you?**

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><p>Chapter Four: Green Slime is Never the Way to Go<p>

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><p><strong>Review Replies:<strong> The Donut Eater: I'm glad you like the story, LOL about the James/Lily side romance part. Sirius excelling in Divination? HAHAHAHA, sorry that made me laugh like mad. RedRoseBlackThorns: cocky Sirius and james? Who DOESN'T like them? xXxFredWeasleyForeverxXx I know that so many people don't read Remus/OC fics...so thanks for reading this one! beba78: Awww, you like it? Thanksssss! HGromanticsap: I REMEMBER YOU! Okay, that sounded weird...alright then. Ahh! What yellow haired girl with brown eyes...having a massive dumb moment here. ForeverTeamEdward13: Ooh, so you like Twilight? Hmm. Thanks for liking my story, and here's the update, LOLZ. FlyingNargles: Completely love your name, did you know that? Totally Luna-esque.

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><p>Before Dawn<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

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><p>Quote for this chapter: What's the two things they tell you are healthiest to eat? Chicken and fish. You know what you should do? Combine them, eat a penguin. ~Dave Attell<p>

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><p>"Wake up, Annabel!"<p>

Annabel jolted awake to Lily's cross face. "What? What happened?" she asked, a concerned look on her face.

"It's time to get up," Lily said.

Annabel checked the time and had to forcibly prevent herself from growling. "You woke me up at SIX for a school that starts at EIGHT?"

Lily smirked. "I did."

Annabel groaned. "You know that I have troubles falling asleep after I'm woken," she moaned into her pillow.

"Yep." Lily's voice was undeniably smug. "Now, why don't you come with me and we'll have a nice breakfast?" When Annabel didn't move, she sighed. "Don't make me levitate you to the Great Hall in your pajamas."

Annabel had a vivid picture in her mind. Herself, levitated, in her cami and little shorts. "I'm sure that everyone will enjoy the view."

"_Mobi-"_

"I'm awake, I'm awake!"

Annabel jolted out of bed and gathered up her uniform and underclothes from her dresser. There, she changed the bathroom, threaded a ribbon through her hair, freshened up, brushed her teeth and applied light makeup on. When she was done, Lily was pounding on the door, saying, "How long does it take to change?"

Annabel opened the door. "It takes a long time, my dear Lily. I have to put on makeup and make sure that I look my absolute best." She beamed and swiveled. "How do I look?"

"Fabulous, as always," Lily said. "Grab your rucksack and let's _go_!"

Grumbling, Annabel did just that. "Remind me why we're going to the Great Hall that early?" she snapped. "I hate waking up early! I'm fifteen! I deserve my sleep! Why, I should-"

"Shut up and stop complaining?" Lily said, raising her eyes. "You know why! The food's best in the morning!"

"To hell with the food!" Annabel cried. "TO HELL WITH FOOD!" she yelled in the common room.

"SHUT UP LADY!" there came a voice from the boy's staircase. Annabel cackled and then walked out of the common room rubbing her eyes. Lily followed her. Their shoes clacked on the floor as they went into the Great Hall-

-and were doused in green slime.

"WHAT THE-" Lily screamed, and then looked over to where James and Sirius were over, goggling.

"What are _YOU_ doing here?" James gaped, looking at something on the floor. "Oh damn, Padfoot, we were only watching Snivellus! We completely forgot about Lily-flower and Anna-" He trailed off as Lily started yelling.

"WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING? THAT IS SO IMMATURE! WHY CAN'T YOU EVER BE MATURE?"

And so forth.

"_Scourgify_," Annabel said, cleaning herself and Lily from the green slime.

"I AM SO TIRED OF YOU BEING SO ANNOYING!"

James was looking meekly down at the floor.

Annabel, used to this, sat down across from Sirius, Remus and Peter and buttered her roll and piled her plate with food. "Lovely day, isn't it?" Personally, she was a bit annoyed about the whole thing, but Lily would soon yell at the boys and straighten that out.

"I WILL NEVER GO OUT WITH YOU! NEVER! EVEN _SNIVELLUS_ WOULD BE A BETTER MATCH, AND AFTER FIFTH YEAR-" Her face crumpled, and James looked like he had been punched in the stomach. "AFTER FIFTH YEAR, WE WEREN'T EVEN FRIENDS!"

Lily turned away and stormed to Annabel, yanked her up unceremoniously and dragged her to the other side of the table, as far away from the Marauders as humanely possible while still sitting at the Gryffindor Tower."

"This should be a new record," Annabel said. "It's only been the first day."

Lily was meticulously shredding a roll into pieces and putting them into her mouth while glaring at James from across the table. "That prat! He just makes me go...ARGHH!"

"That's a lovely sound," Annabel said, grabbing herself a new plate. "You know how long it's going to take me to butter a new roll? You suck, Lily!"

A dazzling young man with blue eyes and blonde hair sat into a seat next to Lily. "Hello." Lily gaped at him and then affixed a huge smile on her face, while Annabel felt the beginnings of a bad mood coming on.

It was Blake.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Annabel snapped, not caring if she sounded rude. Apparently, Lily did because she elbowed Annabel in the shoulders and widened her eyes, signifying for Annabel to "shut up and let me flirt with Blake because he is totally hot".

Which did not make her day any better.

"You know what?" Annabel said hastily, standing up. "I-I feel like I have to...erm...go...oh what the hell...I have to go!" She ran into the corridor, where she shuddered. Lily hardly ever flirted, and Blake wasn't exactly discouraging her. Even though he didn't flirt back with her. Stupid Blake.

"Oh Merlin," Annabel said, shuddering and pressing a hand to her temple. A migraine was coming on. "I can't believe it's only the first day."

There was a rustle, and she twirled around, hand with wand and eyes scanning for any Slytherins. While she wasn't as prejudiced as _some_ Gryffindors (cough, James, cough) she was still hexed a great deal by Slytherins—something that irritated her greatly. Every year she made at least two trips to the nurse's to remove unwanted coloring, and other things, and most of the other Gryffindors made at least three.

But to her great relief, it was only James, Sirius, Remus and Peter. James was looking murderous, and was struggling to get back to the hall, while Remus and Sirius were restraining him. Peter was holding James' wand (and looking awed to be doing so). Presumably so James wouldn't hex Sirius or Remus.

"Lemme go! I want to kill him! I will murder him! He's trying to steal my Lily-kin? Ha! I'd like to see him try, the idiot who doesn't even deserve to win!" James socked Sirius in the jaw, which made Sirius promptly drop him on the floor and swear an awful lot. Remus pinned James to the floor and then said, "James! You're acting like a fool!"

"I'd have to agree with him, James," Annabel said, stepping out of the shadows. "Let me guess. You got sick and disgusted by Lily's flirting with Blake?" When Remus nodded (James was swearing and pinned to the floor, Peter was still looking at the wand like it was some sacred statue, and Sirius was dramatically howling about, clutching his jaw where James had punched him), Annabel added, "Yep, I got sick of it too." She scowled. "Hopefully, we won't ever have to experience that again..." She trailed off. "What class do you have first?"

"Trans-fig-u-ra-tion," Remus wheezed out as James slammed a foot into his gut. "Annabel, would you do me a favor and.."

Annabel pointed her wand at James and said, "Petrificus Totalus!"

Immediately, James went as stiff as a board.

"Favorite spell of mine," Annabel said, twirling her wand through her fingers. "I like to use it a lot. The only problem is, my friends aren't exactly willing to be experimented on, something that I find very annoying. But I'm glad I got to practice on James." Walking over to James, she poked his cheek. "Would you mind being my test dummy? Thanks. Love you James!" Catching a sidelong look from Sirius, she added, "In a platonic way! Merlin, you all ought to know that by now!"

"James is crazy," Sirius said flatly. "How the hell do I heal this?"

"Reminds me," Annabel said. "What the hell did you do to Corina? She came into the Gryffindor Common Room at like, 10 in the night, saying, 'SIRI-KIN DUMPED ME! WHAT DID I DO WRONG?' which was very annoying, and also, I was a little shocked how she got there because she's a RAVENCLAW, which makes me feel like someone-" here she looked at Sirius. "-someone gave her the password."

Sirius shrugged. "Guilty as charged."

"SIRI-KIN!"

"Oi! Don't call me that name, Annabel! It makes me feel like you and I have something going on between us." At Annabel's look of disgust, he posed for her and said in a sultry voice, "Don't look at me like that. You know that we were meant for each other."

Annabel started laughing and patted Sirius on the back. "Of course my Sirius _darrliingg_," she said in a perfect imitation of Clara. "We'll be _married_ before you know it (and can't back out of it)." Looking down at James, she nudged him gently with her foot. "Have you calmed down?"

His eyes narrowed at her.

"I take that as a no then. Look, as disgusting as it is to see Lily flirting, I just walked away. If you ever want to earn her respect and..and...oh heaven's sake, what's that word?"

"Love?" Sirius said.

"Yes! Love! If you ever want to earn her love, you're going to have to be a man instead of a boy." Annabel took away the spell and helped him up.

"Thanks," James said grudgingly. "But how the hell am I supposed to do that? She won't even talk _civilly _with me without screaming at me. And at all the pranks that other people find funny, she finds annoying."

"Well," Annabel said. "You do seem to ask her out every time she tries to talk to you civilly."

James glared at her. "Thanks."

"Oh come on, James," Annabel said, rolling her eyes. "Siri-kins, Remus, back me up on this!"

Remus shuffled his teeth. Sirius gave a dazzling grin. "You do seem to, mate."

"All the time," Remus said.

"Pretty much," Peter added. "Should I still keep his wand away, or can I give it back?"

James' eyes glinted dangerously and he lunged for his wand.

"Keep it away, keep it away!" Peter chanted, running away with James' wand as Sirius and Remus once again wrestled him to the ground. Annabel sighed.

"You are hopeless, James Potter," she said, and marched away.

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><p>In Transfiguration, James seemed to have subtly calmed down enough to just bleakly glare at Blake and Lily when they walked in, <em>together<em>, and sat down (again, TOGETHER) at a table. Annabel gaped at her friend, shocked that Lily had so blatantly ignored her, and to make a point, stood up and walked over to James. He was sitting alone because Sirius and Remus were sitting together and sending him slightly annoyed looks at his tantrum, and Peter wasn't in this class at all. "HELLO JAMES!" she said loudly. "MAY I SIT WITH YOU?"

James looked over to where Lily and Blake were sitting, laughing together and said, "Uh, yeah, sure." He scooched his stuff from one side of the table to make room for Annabel's.

Lily looked up and saw that Annabel was sitting with James. Her mouth fell open at Annabel and her green eyes squinted angrily at her. "_Why the hell are you sitting with him_?" she mouthed to Annabel.

Annabel glared at her friend and turned away.

"Alright class," McGonagall said in a tight voice. "Today we will be transforming flowers into butterflies. Who can tell me the spell for that?" Lily's hand rose up. "Ms. Evans?"

"Um, _Flora Abunta,_" Lily said.

"Correct, without the 'um'. Five points to Gryffindor. Start."

Annabel carefully positioned her wand and pointed it at the flower. "Flora Abunta?" she asked hopefully. "Oh come on! Stupid flower! FLORA ABUNTA!" A small jet of white light flew out of her wand and hit the table, which became a butterfly. "No! Finite Incantantum!" With a flash of light, the table returned to being a table.

"Having some trouble?" James asked with a smile on his face. His flower was already a butterfly, and he was easily guiding it into the cage at the far end of the room. "Need some assistance? You only need to speak the word."

"Of course I don't need any help," Annabel huffed. "Oh, damn!" She had turned the table into a butterfly again.

"Correction," James said, "You're failing."

Lily had gotten it already and even Alice was doing it correctly.

"I can do this!" Annabel said stubbornly. "FLORA ABUNTA!"

With that last cry, there was a jolt of light so strong that all of the flowers in the room turned to butterflies, and even some of the chairs and desks. Monarchs, Blue Morphos and much more started flying around, the wings fluttering against her cheek in a strange, sweet kiss.

"Oh goody," Annabel muttered. "I did it. But I failed. At the same time."

Annabel looked around, slack-jawed, as Professor McGonagall set off to setting things right. After she had finished, and the chaos was done, Professor McGonagall looked at Annabel with a raised eyebrow. "You need to learn to control your wand, Ms. Foster."

"Yes Professor McGonagall," Annabel said, abashed.

"Very well."

* * *

><p>Next was Charms. Professor Flitwick taught them how to make ribbons of light appear in the sky and make it seem like day. A fun way of Lumos-a cool spell to start off the year, were his words, paraphrased, of course. "The spell is <em>Ribbont falme<em>, and you have to swish your wand counterclockwise, and then end with a flourish. You all have that? Good! Begin."

Charms was probably Annabel's favorite class. They were in a darkened classroom, and an explosion of golden ribbons came out of her wand, twisting and curving in the air, lighting up the classroom and giving everyone's faces a strange golden glow. Of course, James and Sirius were not to be outdone and made glowing ribbons wrap themselves into shapes of swords and mock-fought. Lily watched them, laughing, until Blake snaked an arm around her shoulder. James' ribbons fell, and Sirius quickly bound his friend with a bunch of illuminated gold ribbons to keep James from strangulating Blake.

Remus and Annabel competed, sending golden ribbons into the air and even changing the colors of the ribbons, so that everyone appeared illuminated in red, then blue, and even green (which gave everyone a sickly, cadaver like appearance). And Alice, sweet Alice, made an ocean of blue and green ribbons. When Frank complimented her, the ribbons turned red and pink. Annabel laughed and cheered whenever anyone made a particularly amazing ribbon thing.

Finally, Flitwick ended the lesson with a spectacular display of a red ribbon dragon breathing fire at a silver ribbon unicorn. The ribbons dissolved into clingy dust that sprinkled Annabel's hair and piled up in her rucksack. "That was very good, class," he said. "Very good indeed. Of course, we're not going to do many fun spells like that, but occasionally I will consider doing it. Class dismissed!"

"It's break time," Noelle said, slipping by Annabel's side. She, too, was disgusted by Lily's flirting, and her passion for Blake had pretty much ended the moment it begun. And Alice was still blushing while Frank talked to her, so Annabel and Noelle decided to leave her alone for a few minutes, see if anything happened.

"Hey," Lily said, catching up with them with Blake at her side. "You guys have been ignoring me and-Annabel, what was that with James? Why were you sitting with him? You never sit with him! You usually sit with me in Transfiguration, or Noelle or Alice."

"Well," Annabel said icily, brushing sparkles out of her hair with her fingers, "seeing as you were busy sitting with Blake-" here she glared at him-"and ignoring me, and Noelle was sitting with Alice and I thought it would be rude to just sit next to them without invitation, I sat next to James. He was very nice to me, and even offered to help me with Transfiguration, and you know how much I hate that!"

Lily laughed. "And when you transformed all those flowers and chairs into butterflies-that was hilarious!"

Noelle quirked an eyebrow at Annabel. "You realize, Lily, that you sound just like James right now. The whole, 'someone's mistake is hilarious even if it's potentially demeaning to them' thing. That's not like you, Lily."

Lily looked chastened. "Blake thought it was funny too, though," she said defensively, tucking a strand of red hair away from her face.

Blake muttered something that sounded like, "I've gotta go be a manly man," but that might just be Annabel's imagination. She glared at his back as he walked away.

"Blake!" Annabel said. "Blake this, Blake that! I can't believe that it's only the first day of school and already one of my friends is dumping me for some hottie guy that she's only just met! That's mean, Lily. I mean, that's just plain cruel of a way to treat someone who's been your friend for six years!"

"Right," Lily said, and then linked arms with her. "Fine. I'll stop hanging out with Blake so much. But he's just so _amazing_, Annabel! So deeply insightful, so sensitive-he's everything that James isn't! Why, I'd go out with him any day!"

"Lily?" Annabel said impatiently as they walked down the corridor, dodging several people to avoid a collision.

"Yes, Annabel?" Lily was awoken from her reverie about Blake to Annabel's (probably) annoyed face.

"You're talking about him again, and it's really annoying."

"Oh."

And for the rest of the break, Lily was perfectly nice, kind, and didn't even mention Blake. Noelle tried to hang out with Sirius, Alice tried to get Frank's attention again, and Annabel laughed at their attempts.

Everything was normal again.

"Shall we get to Defense Against the Dark Arts, my lady?" Annabel said, offering her arm to Lily, who giggled and accepted. Noelle grabbed a hank of Annabel's hair, using it as a rein and Alice grabbed a fistful of Lily's. "Ow! Brats!"

They just laughed at her.

* * *

><p>Defense Against the Dark Arts was boring, to put it lightly. The new teacher that they had was dreary and completely boring and even Lily, who was, to put it lightly, COMPLETELY concerned about her grade, looked like she was about to fall asleep.<p>

Annabel however, entertained herself by doodling all over her paper. James, catching sight of it (he was on it) took the paper and started laughing.

Annabel blushed.

On the paper, she had doodled Lily slapping James and then kissing him on the cheek (a magical doodle that was able to move) and Remus running around after Sirius, who was holding a piece of cheese, and then Blake with his head being chopped off and Annabel being the one wielding the axe.

"I'm weird, I know that!" she muttered to James. "Don't gloat about it."

Chuckling, James passed it to Sirius, who snickered and scribbled down a drawing of his own. On it was a stag wearing a tutu.

James scowled for some reason, but Annabel found it pretty funny. And it was surprising how astonishingly detailed it was. And then James scribbled down a picture of a dog with a bow on its head. A pink one.

"Awww, how cute!" Annabel said. Sirius growled.

There was something going on between the Marauders, she realized. And it was something that she wanted to know about. A secret. Something about animals.

And she intended to find out.

* * *

><p>"Hello class," Professor Greento said as she swept into the room. They were in Herbology. "Now, today we will be learning about how to extract venom from a Venomous Tentacula." She gave a roguish grin. Tall and young, Greento was the prettiest teacher in Hogwarts, with her light blonde hair and warm gray eyes. Of course, she was twenty-something, but that didn't stop people from having crushes on her.<p>

Annabel smiled. Herbology was her favorite subject. She was studying to become a Healer, so she had to take Herbology, Potions, Charms, Defense Against The Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and a few others.

"Everyone will need to take out their dragon-skin gloves," Greento said briskly, taking out her own blue ones. "Those who don't have any, you may borrow some from the student store."

A few people went over to take some gloves. Annabel took out hers and put them on. They were rough and scratched her hand, which made her scowl. Lily, next to her, smiled at Annabel's expression, and then turned to look dreamily at Blake.

"Ugh." Annabel ran her fingers through her hair and rolled her eyes at Lily. She was not enjoying this sentimental sap that had replaced her best friend.

"First," Greento said, scowling. "You have to pinch the tip of a tentacle." Demonstrating, a jet of sizzling green acid came out of the mouth. Catching it with a jar, Greento hissed as a drop of acid landed on her hand. "Ouch! If you get burned, all you have to do is spit on it. Like this." The professor spat on her wound, making some immature wizards and witches giggle. "It's not quite that funny. Please get into groups of five."

"Lily, do you want to..." Annabel trailed off after she saw Lily get with Blake and his three friends. "Never mind. Who am _I_ supposed to pair up with?"

Looking around, she saw that Alice and Noelle had paired up with Charlotte, Charlotte's boyfriend, and Charlotte's twin, Fauna.

"Annabel!" Annabel whipped around to see Sirius with Remus and James waving at her. "Want to be in our group?"

"Where's Peter?" Annabel asked, walking over to her other friends.

"He went off to the bathroom," James said, waving his hand idly. "He'll come back. Unless he's having a dirty and dishy rendezvous with Moaning Myrtle."

"There's a reason she's called _Moaning_ Myrtle," Sirius snickered.

"You lot are disgusting," Annabel said, laughing anyway.

"So, uh, what's up with you and Lily-flower?" James asked her.

Annabel gave a large sigh. "Don't even _talk_ to me about her. She's awful! She's been with that Blake fellow for ages! She's ignoring me, and I hate it. Of course, I feel glad that she's finally fancying someone, but really! Does she have to...you know..._throw me away_ like I'm some rotting shirt that she doesn't even want?"

"Rotting shirt?" Sirius said with amusement.

"Ask Moony," James said. "He's our relationship guru."

Annabel raised her eyebrows. "Really? Remus?"

Remus turned red.

"You know, it's funny," Annabel said casually. "James struts like a _stag_, Sirius is as friendly as a _dog_, and Peter is as timid as a _rat, _which has a wormy tail, doesn't it. Did you all just come up with those nicknames, and what animal does _Moony_ stand for? Hmm?"

James turned as white as dandelion fluff.

"It...it...stands for the moon!" Remus said. "Right Padfoot?"

"Right," Sirius babbled, looking nothing like the suave guy that most people tagged him as.

"Right," Annabel repeated after him. "There's something going on between the lot of you. I intend to find out."

Then she gave a bright smile. "Who wants to pinch a tentacle first?"

There were groans of disgust.

* * *

><p>"Alright class, you did well," Professor Greento said approvingly. "Five full gallons of venom. I think I'm going to let this one relax for a while and regenerate its venom." She put the plant aside. Annabel scowled.<p>

She felt gross and disgusted.

Five times the acid had spilled on her and each time, she had spat on it. Except for the third time, when she hadn't noticed it spilling onto her shoulder and eating through her clothes. Sirius (Kindly? Evilly?) had spat on it for her.

So she felt grossed out.

"Thank you, and GROSS," she had cried.

"Anyway, you will be paired up with a partner to do a project with. Your project is to crossbreed two plants together. Mind you, nothing dangerous, just something like a Fanged Geranium and a daisy. Something like that."

Everyone started to move to be paired together.

"No, no. _I_ will be picking the partners."

"Aw, dammit!" Sirius swore.

"A point from Gryffindor for obscenity," Greento said without even looking at him. Raising her wand, she swept a hand in the air. The names of the people appeared and started pairing together. James and Severus were together (something that made Annabel pat her friend in sympathy and say, "don't tear him apart, okay?"), Sirius and Lily, Peter and Noelle, Alice and Frank, and other people. Finally, Annabel saw her name with Remus.

"Ah," Annabel said. "Well, this should be fun, pardner."

"Excuse me?" Remus said, looking amused.

"Well, that's a Southern...ugh...I really have been spending too much time at Lily's house." Annabel smiled. "So, what do you want to do?"

Remus pushed sandy hairs off his forehead, making him look younger than he was. "Um...well, obviously, we can't do a Fanged Geranium and a daisy," he said, smiling a bit. "But maybe we can do a cross between a rose and a...and a..." He scowled. "What other plants can you think of other than the obviously dangerous one?"

Annabel snorted. "Think about it. What if the Whomping Willow and a rose mated? Everyone on campus would be dead from rose thorn spears."

Remus gave a wane smile. "What about Moondew?"

"You mean that plant that you use in 'Draught of Sleeping Death'?" Annabel asked, brushing a strand of her light brown hair away from her face. "That's cool."

"I wonder what it would produce," Remus said thoughtfully.

"A rose whose scent makes you sleep?" Annabel put in helpfully.

Remus smiled. A real smile. "That would be interesting. You know what: this project is due in two weeks, and it's going to fairly hard to breed and grow a plant in such a short time. Do you want to meet tomorrow at break time to work on it?"

"Sure," Annabel said, grinning. The bell rang and people starting gathering up their stuff. "I guess I'll see you around in the Common Room."

"Okay," Remus said.

Annabel gave him one last smile before walking away to join Noelle and Alice.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what did you think? A fairly long chapter, really. Thanks to my fantastic betas, PhoenixFanatic999 and daughterxofxapollo! <strong>

**Review?**


	6. And Then There Was One

**You all are amazing, you guys! Completely fantastic, that's what I say! And as a reward...here is a brand new, SHINY CHAPTER! I know, so astonishing, right? Just to say, you might want to know that there's probably going to be about fifty to sixty chapters...so blech. I know right? Stick with me, though, lovely reviewers!**

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><p>Chapter Five: And Then There Was One<p>

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><p><strong>Review Replies: <strong>georgethecunt: what a wonderfully long reviews. I love long reviews, did you know that? And this was a specially long review. I love it!BUT AHAHAHAHAHA, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to write, "Remus shuffled his teeth" because it was supposed to be "Remus shuffled his feet" but aggh, whatever. I fail at life, but boo hoo hoo. ForeverTeamEdward13: Here's the update! The Donut Eater: It was a little perverted, that line, wasn't it? *blushes* So sorry. beba78: LOL XD, hahahaha, nice to know that you like the idea of 'Recluse' too! xXxFredWeasleyForeverxXx: WHY OH WHY IS YOUR NAME SO HARD TO WRITE, oh ignore me, I'm being a big baby, you know. Thanks for the lovely lovely review!

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><p>Before Dawn<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

* * *

><p>Quote for the chapter: Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die. ~Mel Brooks<p>

* * *

><p>"Alright," Remus said, walking over with a stack of books in his arms. Annabel looked up, mildly surprised and impressed. All she had was a parchment full of ideas and spell that they could use, and two plants- the Moondew and the rose. She bought plenty from Professor Greento just in case something went wrong. "I got quite a few books and read them all so far, so I know which part are important...and which parts are drop-dead boring."<p>

"Really?" Annabel said, a smile playing around her lips. "All I have are the plant clippings and a few notes that I managed to gather."

Normally, of course, she wouldn't even have bothered to look up stuff, but there was something so studious about Remus that she found herself doing it anyway, much to Noelle's amusement. Alice had yelled, "ANNABEL IS DOING HOMEWORK WITHOUT US PRODDING HER! IT'S A MIRACLE!" until Annabel had poked her and said that Frank was chatting with James and Sirius about two feet away and was looking at her, laughing. Which, of course, made sweet Alice blush and sit down again with a tomato-red face.

"So," Remus said. "From all the books, it looks like if we fuse the seeds together, we might be able to plant it and make a new plant grow."

"The plant has to be classified XXX only at the most," Annabel warned him, taking out some seeds from her pocket."

"Yes," Remus said absentmindedly. "I also found a spell that drains the life out of plants; at least, one that you were trying to drain the life out of. All we have to do it point it at a plant that is definitely more than XXX, and then it dies, we put it on our, 'done and horrible' list and then we start anew. What are the classifications again?"

"As if you don't already know," Annabel sniffed, smiling, but then pulled out her book anyway. "It's pretty much the same for beasts. X is for boring, nondescript plants, XX is for plants that are NOT _that_ boring, but not that dangerous either. XXX is for plants like..." She thought for a second. "Mandrakes. Stuff that are dangerous, but only when handled improperly. XXXX is for plants like Venomous Tentacula, and XXXXX are for Whomping Willow-esque plants. You stay away from them, they don't give you a slow and painful death."

"Great, thanks," Remus said. "Can you turn to chapter five of that brown leather book? Yes, that one," he said when Annabel lifted said book questioningly. "What does it say?"

"_A list of spells for gardening and cross breeding, A-Z. Appelicit – to make flowers become fruit. Basberic *nvbl* – to make soil richer. Chimpanit – to make aphids wither away *note, only works on aphids, no other bug type. Deflotin – to clear of weeds."_

"Skip to the one about fusing seeds together, please," Remus sighed, rolling his eyes at the girl.

Annabel glared at Remus' back before skimming the page. "_Grontiflux – to fuse two seeds together. *note, does not guarantee that there will be a new plant made._"

"_Grontiflux_," Remus said. Nothing happened. "Blimey. I knew that I hated Charms!"

"May I try?" Annabel asked. When Remus nodded impatiently, skimming through the book, she said, "_Grontiflux."_

There was a slight shimmer coming out of her wand. The two seeds glowed and then fused together, leaving a seed the size of a walnut and lumpy. "It worked! Now what?"

"Okay, so, we have to put it in soil and put a load of water on it. _Aguamenti_." Remus, holding his wand in one hand, scooped out a little hollow in the ground and put the seed in it. Scraping the dirt back over, he took one quick look at the page again. "_Shootificus Plantima."_

The earth shuddered around the plant, and then started drying out. Remus gave a shout and started watering the earth as fast as the plant soaked it up, and then there was a green sprout.

Which shriveled and died.

"Maybe it didn't have enough nutrition?" Annabel said helplessly.

"Or my shadow was on it!" Remus swore. "I forgot! Plants need sunlight, and because my shadow was on it, the sunlight was not able to get to it."

Annabel hesitantly reached out and patted Remus on the shoulder. "There there," she said. "I'm sure that the plant is happy in heaven." The bell rang. "And we need to get to class. Come on! We'll work on this tomorrow."

After they walked quickly for a few seconds, Remus said, "Do you think that Lily and James will ever get together?"

It was a surprising question and Annabel was quiet for a few seconds as she pondered it. "Frankly, I feel like I can see them as a married couple," she said thoughtfully. "And with kids. But right now...I feel like Lily hates James too much. Hell, I bet the only reason that I can spend time with you guys is because I'm equally as hard-headed as her."

"Mmph," said Remus.

They reached Potions. Without another word, Remus and Annabel separated and went to their respective seats. Annabel with Alice and Noelle, Remus with James and Sirius (Peter had not made it into Potions).

Annabel looked over at Lily, sitting with Blake, and felt her mouth thin. She looked at James. He too, was looking at Lily with a desolate face.

Stupid Lily.

"Lilllyyyyyy..." Annabel whined the next day. "I'm HUNGRY."

"I thought that you hated getting up," Lily said serenely. "How does this hairstyle look like?"

"Fab," Annabel said briskly, feeling her stomach rumble. "Let's go eat." Then she stopped for a second. "Wait a minute: you _never_ really care about how you look. LILY! WHO HAS TAKEN MY LILY AWAY AND REPLACED HER WITH..." She waved a hand at Lily. "THAT GIRL!"

"Shut _up_!" Lily said reddening cheeks. "So what if I wanted to take a little more time with my appearance!"

"For who?" Noelle asked, combing a brush through her short hair. "Blake or James?"

Lily shot Noelle a dirty look. "For nobody, and if I were, you can be sure that I wouldn't be taking time for JAMES."

"So Blake," Alice said from where she was threading a blue ribbon through her medium brown hair.

"Aargh!"

Lily abandoned her hair (which was now in soft ringlets down to her shoulders) and stormed out into the common room, Annabel hurrying after her. James was in the common room, saw Lily, gaped, walked up to say something, but Lily was glaring at him so ferociously that he completely stopped in his tracks.

"IF YOU ASK ME OUT ONE MORE TIME, I WILL CASTRATE YOU AND STRING YOU UP FOR THE CROWS TO LAUGH AT."

"I wasn't!" James said. At Sirius' skeptical look and Annabel's eye-rolling, he scowled at them. "I really wasn't!"

"Then what were you going to tell me?" Lily asked, rolling her eyes herself.

"That Blake's hands were all crushed up today from a stray bludger-" Here, Sirius fought to keep a smile from coming on his face and Annabel surreptitiously stepped on his foot. "-and he'll be in the Hospital Wing for a day."

"Oh my!" Lily grabbed her stuff. "I should go see him!"

After she left, Annabel turned to Sirius and James with a cocked eyebrow. "Is there any coincidence between the two facts that Sirius is the beater of the Gryffindor team, and Blake's hand got smashed up by a _bludger_."

"Nope," James said.

"No coincidence at all," Sirius said too, with a markedly straight face.

"Though that is funny."

"Yes, very funny."

"You two are idiots."

"Why thank you Annabel."

"Yes, thank you, Ms. Foster."

Annabel smiled. "And what good did you think that would do? Now Blake is going to turn Lily into a mush pile and-"

"Lily?" Sirius said, with a comically shocked face. "As a _mush_ pile? No, no, _no_, that title goes to other girls. Like Alice. She's a mush-pile around Frank, but she's the sweetest girl ever. I would snog her, but Frank...Frank is the overprotective type. He would probably brain me if he knew I was coalescing with dear, sweet Alice."

"Coalescing?" James gave a gasp. "Padfoot used a big word!" He clutched at Annabel. "You have been a big influence on him, my dear!"

"Shut up, you two," Annabel grumbled. "And now Lily's going to be even more sappier about him. James, I know that you've been fancying her since fifth year, but really? Do you _have_ to drive her away and make even her friends miserable? Merlin's pants, Sirius, do you have to go along with James' silly endeavors? And vice versa!"

James and Sirius stared at her. James annoyed and Sirius just..._aloof_, there was no other word for it.

Annabel patted her hair, which was french braided by Noelle. "I'm hungry. Would one of you gentlemen care to guide me to breakfast?"

"I will, if you continue to give me tips about how NOT to drive Lily-flower away," James offered.

"Prongs, you're being kind to a lady other than Evans?" Sirius said, pretending to gasp. "Well, I will not be outdone!" Seizing Annabel's other arm, he started walking with her away. Many girls were staring at Annabel, envious that she had two of the hottest boys at school on her arms, and she was rather enjoying it.

"I'm starving," a girl said to Sirius. "Would you like to accompany me?"

She was a first year. A pretty one at that.

Annabel elbowed Sirius from his oogling. "She's a first year! No molesting!"

"I'm not!"

"Then stop looking at her like you have x-ray vision."

_Men_, Annabel thought. Then she looked at James, who was babbling about how he thought that Lily would like a jeweled statue of a stag for her birthday, and then she looked at Sirius, who was staring at the first year with a thoughtful look on his face, and then started whistling, "Who let the dogs out, Who, Who, Who, Who." _No, boys. And I hope they never change_.

"Breakfast," Annabel moaned, and then seized a bunch of food and piled them on her plate. "Such. A. Beautiful. Sight."

"Watch out, Anna...you might choke on your own greed," Noelle said, sounding disgusted and fascinated at the same time. Her hair was pulled back into the most distracting ponytail that Annabel had possibly ever seen on earth. In fact, the pony tail wiggled whenever Noelle laughed. It was wiggling now. "You have maple syrup on your nose."

"Damn," Annabel said, blushing. She got a napkin and then...

...a foreign hand darted out and wiped it off her nose for her.

"What the..." said Annabel, staring at the boy in front of her.

He could be classified as beautiful, she decided. He had long dark brown hair with smoky gray eyes. Tanned, golden skin. And his face was aristocratic-not handsome, aristocratic.

And he held the napkin with maple syrup on it.

"Hi," Annabel said, deciding not to add, 'Why the hell did you wipe the maple syrup off my nose?'

"I think you don't remember me," said the strange boy. "We met at a bash at James' house. I'm in Ravenclaw, a year older. Remember?"

Ah, she did.

"Cal...vin...Calvin?" she tried. "Sorry, it was all just a blur. It was a few months ago, in the summer, right?"

"Yes, it was," Calvin said. "And my name _is_ Calvin, although I could see that you weren't sure about it." He cracked a grin.

Annabel blushed. "Sorry about that." She frowned. "I met you at the one when James and Sirius got plastered to the wall, literally."

"Right," Calvin said. "And now, I have to ask you something: will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"

"What?" Annabel said, her eyes sparkling.

"Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"

"Yes!" Annabel said, and then blushed at herself for answering so quickly. "I mean, sure, but I'll have to check my calendar."

"Cool," Calvin said, shooting her a smile. "See you around?"

"Sure."

Once he had left, Annabel turned to Noelle. "Did he just ask me out?"

"He just asked you out!"

"And he's a seventh year!"

"He is!"

"AHHHH!"

After they had finished squealing with each other, Noelle started smiling. "You know what my favorite part of him asking you out was?"

"What?" Annabel asked eagerly.

"I mean, sure, but I'll have to check my calendar," Noelle said, imitating Annabel. "Ms. Suave."

"Shut up!"

* * *

><p>"Hi!" Annabel said cheerily, thumping down beside Remus. "Aren't you happy? No charms homework!"<p>

"Yeah, Flitwick is nice," Remus said, putting down his book and smiling at her. "So, we're going to try and grow a new plant today. Again. We'll try the seed this time, but make sure no shadow's on it."

"Alrighty," Annabel said, casting the spell and making a lumpy seed again. Now that she looked closer at it, there was a subtle coppery shine to the seed, and as she and Remus scraped the dirt over the quickly growing plant, they shifted so that the most light could shine on the plant.

Nevertheless, the plant was sickly. It was yellow-green, with some shriveled up leaves and spots on it. Spots. And it was about three inches tall.

"This is a fail," Annabel said. "So I guess that we should cross this off our list, huh?"

"Yep," Remus said, staring at their fail of a plant. "Cross that one off."

Lily came to James at the common room later that night. Annabel groaned inwardly.

"Potter," Lily snarled.

"Lily-flower," James said cheerily.

Annabel propped her feet up on Sirius, who looked at her feet curiously before poking them with his wand.

Then Mount Evans erupted.

"HOW COULD YOU INTENTIONALLY SMASH A BLUDGER INTO BLAKE'S HAND?" she screeched. "YOU ARE SO IMMATURE! SO DAMN IMMATURE! JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TAKE A LITTLE COMPETITION DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO MORTALLY INJURE THEM!"

James stared at her cooly.

"YOU PRICK!"

It appeared to Annabel that James was counting under his breath. "So Sirius," Annabel said lazily. "What girl are you dating now?"

"AND YOU WILL NEVER HAVE A CHANCE! NEVER!"

"Oh, that pretty girl from Ravenclaw," Sirius said.

Annabel raised her eyebrows. "Don't tell me you don't know her name!"

"EVEN BLAKE WOULD BE A BETTER BOYFRIEND THAN YOU!"

"Of course I know her-"

But apparently, Lily had pulled the last string. Annabel groaned.

"BLAKE?" James roared. "BLAKE WOULD BE THE BETTER BOYFRIEND? WHO HAS BEEN CONSTANTLY ASKING YOU OUT FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS? WHO HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET YOUR ATTENTION? AND WHO HAS BEEN TRYING TO MAKE YOU SEE THAT BLAKE IS NOT WORTH YOUR TIME? I WAS DOING YOU A FAVOR!"

"A FAVOR?" Lily cried. "HOW THE HELL DO YOU CALL SMASHING UP AN INNOCENT BOY'S HAND A FAVOR?"

"BECAUSE THEN HE WON'T BREAK YOUR HEART!" James yelled.

The Gryffindor Common room opened and Blake stepped in. Annabel groaned again. His blue eyes sparkled. "Lily. You called for me?"

"GET THE HELL OUT!" James screamed at Blake. "I WISH YOU WOULD DIE AND GET OUT OF HERE."

Blake, eyes wide, walked out.

"Whoa," Sirius said. "Prongs is really mad." He pushed Annabel's feet off of his lap and stood up. "Mate-"

"Shut up." This came from Lily, who was pale and shaking. "_He_ isn't the one breaking my heart. _You_ are."

With that, tears started trickling from her eyes and she fled.

"Mate," Sirius said again. "What happened?"

"I don't know," James said, and he sounded so wretched that Annabel's heart hurt. "I just...blew up."

"Mate-"

"Just stop," James said, and then turned and walked up the stairs.

Sirius shrugged and sat back down.

"That's just it?" Annabel exclaimed. "You're not going to chase after him?"

"No," Sirius said.

"But you're his friend!" Annabel said.

"I don't see you running after Lily," remarked Sirius.

Annabel glared at him. "Well, I don't really think that James will be running to Blake to cry into his shirt and be comforted, do you?"

"Oh."

"Exactly." Annabel ran a hand over her forehead. "Normally, I would, but this time, I know exactly who she's going to come to for comfort." She stood up and started to walk to the boy's staircase. Sirius looked shocked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sirius said. "Where are you going?"

"To talk to James," Annabel said.

"That's not a good idea."

"It seems to me like it is."

"How?"

At that moment, there was a thud, and then Peter ran downstairs in his pajamas. "James is in the foulest mood I've ever seen," he said to Sirius worriedly, wringing his hands together and not even noticing Annabel. "He threw a table at me. With his wand."

"Ahem," Annabel coughed and Peter squeaked, whirling around. "Which dorm are you guys in?"

"It's the same as yours," Sirius grumbled.

Annabel raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how, pray tell, do you know _that_?"

A snarky grin appeared on Sirius' face. "Lucky guess."

"You're sickening." Annabel walked up the stairs and went to the dorm. She knocked on the door and pressed her ear against it.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE."

"So rude," Annabel noted. "Is that just a side affect of being yelled at Lily-flower, or a side affect of yelling at Lily-flower?"

There was a pause, and then- "What do you want, Annabel?"

"I want in, so I can talk to you," said Annabel curtly.

"Just say it out there."

"Uh-huh. You want me to give you tips on how to win your dear Lily, yelling through the door, so that Lily, if she chanced to walk in, can come and kill me? Brilliant idea, James. I honestly thought that you were smart."

There was a hefty sight, a muttered charm, and when she pulled on the doorknob, she could come in.

James was sitting on the bed, head in his hands, looking the picture of dejection. "So, what tips do you have for me exactly?" he asked from between his fingers.

"Tips...hmm..." Annabel said, smiling softly. "I guess the only tip that I have is to _stop trying_."

"What?"

James gaped at Annabel.

"That's all," Annabel said, and then walked away.

* * *

><p>It was the day of the full moon and Remus was not having a good day so far.<p>

"Hi Remus," Annabel said cheerily as she sat down next to him. "What are we going to do today?"

Usually, she cheered him up, but her overly upbeat voice was so loud and he winced. "Can you lower your voice down...please?" he said, not bothering to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"Alright then..." Annabel said, looking a bit hurt. "This better?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Alright. So I was looking up some stuff last night and I saw that..." Her voice just kept droning on and on, some laughter mixed in with it occasionally, then some confusion, and then some more laughter. Remus tried to look interested, but really, he was smelling the overbearing smell of her flowery perfume, which usually smelled good, but right now was just too...much...

"Can we do this tomorrow?"

Annabel stared at him. "What?"

"Sorry," Remus bit out. "I'm just not feeling that good, so can we do this all tomorrow?" But the hardness showed through his voice and Annabel's eyes flashed.

"Fine then!" she said. "What's gotten into _your_ pants? See you tomorrow." With a decidedly annoyed look on her face, she started walking away.

Remus rubbed his forehead.

"Blowup with Annabel?" Sirius asked as he walked by and saw Remus staring at a book. "By the way, if you want to at least pretend to read a book, you can actually open it. See, like this." He opened the book and propped it up on Remus' lap, and then tilted Remus' head down so that it looked like he was reading.

"Shut up, Padfoot," Remus said.

"What's wrong with _you_, Moony?"

"Its..." Remus gestured with his hand expressively.

"It's what?" Sirius asked innocently. "Your time of the month?"

Remus flushed. "It's my..."

"Your what, Moony?"

Remus sighed with frustration. "It's my furry little problem," he said, and when Sirius looked innocently at him, _the bastard_, he made bunny ears.

"Ohh!" Sirius said. "_That_ furry little problem. You know, you really have to do something about that rabbit of yours."

_As if he didn't know what I was talking about from the beginning_, Remus thought grouchily. Sirius was always loved these romps in the woods. They made him more lighthearted-Sirius was the dangerous type. He wasn't one to smoke, or take drugs, but yet, he was addicted to something-danger. It didn't matter what kind, he loved danger.

Danger to Severus was also something that Sirius loved to see.

Remus vividly remembered that time in fifth year when Severus had seen his secret. If it hadn't been for Prongs, he reflected, he probably would be pretty much exposed to the world. After all, it wasn't like many people accepted him for who he was.

No, it was more like nobody did.

"REMUS JOHN LUPIN ANSWER ME!"

"WHAT?" Remus snapped at the girl.

It was Lily.

Puffing, red-faced, angry, Sirius was actually backing away from the girl. Remus figured that Lily must have been pretty angry to say his full and yell at him.

"Yes Lily?" Remus said, trying to be cordial after his earlier rudeness.

"I asked, where is Annabel?" Lily asked tightly. "She's supposed to be here, working on a project with you."

"Oh, she left," Remus said gloomily. "I wasn't feeling well, so we re-scheduled."

The anger melted away from Lily's face. "Really? Are you alright, Remus? Sorry if I yelled at you...you're friends with James and I'm mad at James and all that nonsense." She looked truly apologetic. "Anyway, Annabel's mad at me and I'm trying to find her to apologize."

"She looked happy to me," Sirius noted.

"Well, being her friend for five years, I could clearly tell that she was mad. After all, she would have had a lot more patience with you, Remus, if she hadn't been mad. But she was, and therefore, she snapped." Lily scowled. "She's been mad at me for over a day now."

"I wonder why," Sirius said.

Lily glared at him and then walked away.

"Moony, mate, just hold yourself together," Sirius said, ruffling Remus' sandy hair. "The full moon's tonight, and you'll feel better after all of it's done." With a roguish grin, the other one sauntered away.

That night, at the full moon, Remus was wilder than ever. Worry showed, and he scratched James on the rump.

"I'm sorry," Remus apologized later to James, who was getting ointment (smoking ointment) smeared on his back.

"S'lright," James slurred, wincing as more ointment was put on. He looked on the verge of blacking out. "Wasn't that painful. Just a scratch." He winced again. "I'm acting like a little girl."

Padfoot hadn't fared any better. Remus had sliced his nose open. Madam Pomfrey was clucking over both of them. Sirius had gotten healed quickly, but was now drinking a blood replenishing potion. "This sucks," Sirius said, staring at the bottle of blood red potion.

"Tell me about it," Remus grumbled.

"No, the potion tastes awful," Sirius said.

"You've had the potion ten times before," Peter said. "Why do you always say it tastes horrible?"

"Because every time, they forget to add sugar!"

"If I add sugar, it wouldn't work," Madam Pomfrey said.

"Well then...add something sweet!" Sirius said, smiling winningly. "You love us, don't you, Poppy?"

"It's Madam Pomfrey to you," the woman said curtly. "And drink it up before I force feed you with a tube that is inserted through your stomach."

"Harsh, Poppy."

"Drink up."

Sirius stared at her for a second. "You know, I have a list of things that I do just incase someone finds out about Moony's secret."

"Really Padfoot?" James asked.

"Yes, Prongs, I do."

"How many things are on there?"

Sirius turned reddish. "Two."

Madam Pomfrey spread more ointment.

"You know," Peter said thoughtfully. "If you replace the second 'p' with an 'o' you get 'Poopy'."

They stared at him, and then Remus voiced it.

"You are so random, Peter."

Peter blushed and grumbled.

* * *

><p><em><strong>*Earlier, in Transfiguration*<strong>_

**JP: So, what spectacular prank are we going to pull on this marvelous day? Something to impress Lily? Or make her forgive me? The best way to ask someone to forgive you is to have a big, dramatic plea for forgiveness. **

PP: Then why hasn't Lily ever forgiven you?

RL: Because Lily doesn't like big, dramatic pleas for her forgiveness

_SB:Touche, my dear Moony_

PP: What does 'touchy' mean?

**JP: Sirius, if you keep laughing like that, you're going to have a heart attack.**

_SB: TOUCHY! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA_

PP: Humph

RL: So, what _are_ we going to do, Prongs?

**JP: Perhaps we should make the Great Hall a meadow?**

_SB: A meadow? What the bludger?_

PP: What the bludger? Touchy, Padfoot. 

_-time lapse-_

**JP: Padfoot! Now the teacher's coming over to see why you're laughing and pounding the ground with your face on the ground. **

_SB: To-u-c-hy. AHAHAHAHAHA._

RL: Dear Merlin.

_-time lapse-_

**JP: Thanks a lot Padfoot. Now we all have detention. **

_**AF: You all are rather stupid, did you know that?**_

RL: Annabel? How the heck did you get on this paper? We specifically enchanted four papers to show whatever the others are writing.

**NJ: Yeah, well, not very well. Annabel and I already managed to get in. Even though Annabel is a whiz at Charms, it was rather pathetic to see how easy it was**

_SB: So, why'd you come on, Noelle?_

**NJ: Just to chat for a while?**

_SB: Oh, so not for me?_

**NJ: Why the hell would I break into a paper for you?**

_SB: Oh...you know..._

**NJ: What do you mean?**

_**AF: Careful, Padfoot. Noelle knows a lot of offensive jinxes. **_

_NJ: Well, you did say that I was the sex god of Hogwarts, Noelle. Perhaps _YOU_ want a snog..or a shag.._

**NJ: OH YOU BASTARD!**

_-time lapse-_

**JP: Nice, Padfoot. Now you've got two weeks of detention as well. **

_SB: How'd I know the bird was going to attack me?_

**NJ: The BIRD has a name, and it is Noelle.**

_**AF: Haha, but did you really have to turn Sirius' face green? And McGonagall didn't even say the countercurse!**_

RL: She knows not to. We have our own methods of getting spells off. And if they don't work, or the teacher forces us to, we go to the ward.

_SB: Moony's right. _

_**AF: Oh shut it, you two. (Insert grumbling here) You all are quite annoying. Remus, what are we going to do for our project? It's due in one freaking week, and we still haven't found the answer, and we STILL haven't written the report. I shall die if I get a bad grade. No, my parents will KILL me if I get that bad of a grade.**_

RL: Relax, Annabel.

**NJ: Jeez, and I thought Lily was bad at worrying about projects. **

_SB: 'Insert grumbling here?' (Insert laughing here)_

_-time lapse-_

**JP: Annabel?**

**NJ: She threw the paper away and is now doodling a drawing of all of us getting our heads chopped off. Just thought you'd want to know. **

_SB: Thanks. So...how about some shagging tonight?_

_-time lapse-_

RL: Noelle?

_SB: Hmm...she's doodling me and herself...except the doodle of her is stabbing me repeatedly in the chest. OUCH!_

RL: What'd she do?

**SB: She whacked him in the face. **

RL: Go Noelle!

_-time lapse-_

RL: Padfoot?

**JP: He left. I shall go consol him.**

_-time lapse-_

RL: And then there was one.

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><p><strong>Absolutely detest it? Hate it? Love it? Want to hit me with a bunch of rotten fishies? REVIEW! :D<strong>


	7. Slag Insults and Slaps

**Hola, el readers-**

**Thanks for all the reviews! MUCHO GRACIAS They really make me really happy! Like, super mega foxy awesome happy! Serious! Gracias, people. I'm learning Spanish! El Espanol! And I absolutely suck! My spanish is absolute caca!**

**Adios!**

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><p>Chapter Six: Slag Insults and Slaps<p>

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><p>Review Replies: ForeverTeamEdward13: Glad you liked the chapter! It made you laugh? YAY! RenaMystique: Awww, best Marauder FF you've read? I'm really flattered; I really am! xXxFredWeasleyForeverxXx: You laughed? You laughed! WOO HOO! HGromanticsap: I did? Oh drat. LOL haha. I read over it and I was like, "I fail at life" Thanks for pointing it out! The Donut Eater: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Calvin and Blake? Errr...no, but LOOLLLLx12. Seriously. You made me laugh like mad. beba78: Well hellooo! :D Here's your brand new spanking chapter! georgethecunt: Oh, you do? Sorry. But some other people like reading it, and it tends to clear things up...:C Sorry about that. LOL, yeah, james is going to undergo a lot of torture by Lily darling. And there's some more notes in this chapter, so sorry again. *winces*<p>

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

* * *

><p>Quote: I'd rather regret the things I have done than regret the things I haven't done. ~Lucille Ball<p>

* * *

><p>"Annabel!"<p>

Lily scowled at her friend, who stared at her silently. "You're still ignoring me," she said. "Is it because I yelled at James? I'm sorry for that. Is it because I've been a bit occupied? I'm sorry for that too. But why are you still ignoring me."

No change in demeanor.

"Annabel!"

"I have to go," Annabel muttered, turning away slightly. "Remus and I are going to work on our project, and then the lot of us have detention."

"Yes, what were you guys thinking, passing notes during Transfiguration?" Lily scolded her friend. "That's so irresponsible! You know, I always knew that being friends with the guys would cloud your judgement. I just never thought that it would go this far! I can't believe that you would willingly dance around with them. You know, this is why we're growing apart. Because you believe from Potter that I am...like...the woman Satan of Hogwarts. I can't believe it! After five years of friendship, you would just throw everything away like that, and I knew it. I knew that you were turning into a Potter!"

Annabel closed her eyes and counted to ten. _Please, please, let her go away..._

A crowd was growing around them. Lily and James, they were a common sight, but Lily and Annabel...those two were inseparable. They were best friends.

"I can't believe it! I've never done anything like this to you. I've been trying to keep us together, but you just keep pushing us apart."

Annabel's eyes opened and flashed blue fire. Lily took a step back. This was not a good sign.

"Irresponsible. Irresponsible." Annabel gave a high laugh. "You think that I'm irresponsible. But yet, here I am, trying to work on a project, and you're here...annoying me. Distracting me. When I'm responsible."

"That's a pathetic response for a insult," Lily said.

She was instantly sorry that she did.

"Dance around with them? Growing apart? Because I believe that you are the woman Satan of Hogwarts? Because_ James _told me that?" Annabel gave a high, incredulous laugh. "I can't believe that it's only the first week and we're already at each other's throats. Listen up, _Evans_. Everything that James has told me about you is about how pretty you are, or now smart you are. And that after five years of friendship, _I_ would throw everything away? You. Hardly. Even. Think. About. Me. When. Blake. Is. Here."

Lily snarled back, "That's probably because you only notice when I hang out with Blake, and not YOU! YOU don't control my social life, Annabel! I don't always have to be with you!"

Annabel scowled. "When I was supposed to get in a group of four in Herbology. Where did you go? To Blake. The Marauders saved me from looking like a stupid arse. And you've been trying to keep us together? And I'M trying to push us apart? YOU ARE SO INSANELY STUPID. I cannot believe it. No, I _can_ believe it, what I _can't_ believe is that you are actually trying to accuse me of doing something that _you_ are doing."

"It's so obvious," Lily said. "I know why. You're jealous that Blake has been giving me so much attention, and you're trying to pull us apart. Ha! As if that will work. Blake and I...were _meant_ to be." She smirked at Annabel.

This was not the Lily Annabel knew.

"And it's so obvious that you're just trying to make yourself feel good by surrounding yourself with guys," Lily continued smugly. "Well it's not working. All that it's making you look like is a slag."

Annabel stared at her friend wordlessly.

And then there was a smack.

Suddenly, Lily was on the ground, nursing a pink mark on the side of her face while Annabel had an outstretched hand. "You slapped me!" Lily said, sounding insulted.

"That was for everything you've done to me and my friends," Annabel said and then ran off.

And on.

And on.

And on.

She ran up to a tapestry on the third floor and flung herself behind it into the secret passage that only she and a few others knew.

So she cried.

* * *

><p>If Noelle and Alice hadn't told him, James wouldn't have guessed that Lily was guilty.<p>

She didn't look guilty in the least.

Sure, her mouth was in a thin line, but they always were after a fight. He just thought that it meant that she was angry at the person and thinking, _I'm correct in fighting. And they weren't_.

Annabel had slouched into class just as the bell rang. She slumped into a seat between Noelle and Alice, who were exuding their, "You did something wrong and we are siding with Annabel" vibe, which Lily was ignoring too.

James looked over at Annabel, who glanced at him as if to say, "_What?"_

He mouthed, "_Are you alright?"_

She shrugged tiredly.

So James started some notes.

* * *

><p><strong>JP: ANNABEL!<strong>

_**AF: What the hell? James?**_

_SB: At your service_

**JP: Ha-ha, Padfoot. No, I'm James.**

_**AF: Seriously, James?**_

**JP: No!**

_SB: He's not Sirius, I am!_

AP: You set yourself up for that, Annabel

_SB: ...Alice?_

AP:The one and the only

NJ: Hey, I'm here too!

_SB: Yeah. I never got to thank you for the detention last night. It was wonderful...(Insert suggestive look.)_

NJ: RAGHHHHH!

_-time lapse-_

_SB: Merlin, Noelle, do you HAVE to keep getting us detention?_

NJ: Take it back!

_SB: FINE! Noelle and I did nothing in detention. HAPPY, WOMAN?_

_SB: And Prongs?_

**JP: Mmph?**

_SB: I am freakishly ahead of you in detention count. _

**JP: WHAT? **

_SB: Yep. _

**JP: That can't be true! I was like, twenty detentions ahead of you last year!**

_SB: No, you were fourteen. And thanks to Noelle here, I am ahead by five._

**JP: Now I have to pull a singular prank. **

AP: Or get in a fight with Snape.

_-time lapse-_

AP: Forget that I just said that.

**JP: No, no no, Alice, that was a marvelous idea. Just perfect**

**RL: James, don't. There are easier ways to get detention.**

_**AF: That sounds weird. And James, haven't you done enough to poor Snape?**_

**JP: Snivellus? No, I haven't done enough. **

AP: That's just cruel.

NJ: James, I don't like Snape, but you guys are _horrid_ to him!

**JP: Horrid? Us? Psh**

_**AF: James Potter, if you harm Snivellus in any way...well...let's just say I have a VERY interesting picture from last summer, and I'm not afraid to use it.**_

**JP: You wouldn't.**

_SB: Oh Annabel dear, isn't that a _bit_ too cruel?_

**RL: Annabel! You would go to such measures?**

NJ: What are you guys talking about?

AP: I'm lost.

_**AF: Well, I just happen to have a picture of James, drunk and half-naked, in a pink tutu with bunny ears and ballet slippers. And if his wand **_**slips****_ near Snivellus, well, you might find that my wand likes to blow up embarrassing pictures of friends to immense proportions and put them in the Great Hall. With a permanent sticking charm._**

_SB: HAHAHAHAHA_

**JP: You wouldn't**

_**AF: Yes, I would. Now lay off him!**_

**JP: Why do I even invite you to my house? And why do you even CARE?**

_**AF: Because I am fantastic, and you love me? Platonically? And I care because I don't want things to be even more stressed between my friend and me.**_

_SB: Don't tell Lily-flower_

_-time lapse-_

AP: Did Noelle just leave?

_**AF: Yes, yes she did, and she's muttering something about killing 'Black' because he's a major arse, or something like that. **_

_SB: Hurtful_

_-time lapse-_

_**AF: Did Sirius just leave?**_

**JP: Padfoot did just indeed leave, and he's muttering something about 'stupid birds'.**

AP: They really are perfect together.

_**AF: So who's left?**_

**JP: You, me, Alice and Remmy.**

_**AF: Remus? You're still here?**_

**RL: Yes, because unfortunately, I am the one that has to take the notes in this group. Otherwise, I wouldn't have anyone to borrow notes from. **

_**AF: You could always ask Lily. **_

**JP: Yeah, about her, Annabel, are you alright?**

_**AF: ...Not perfect, but not that mad anymore. Just sad. And depressed. **_

AP: (Insert hug from Alice to Annabel here)

_**AF: It's alright you guys. I'll just go. **_

_-time lapse-_

AP: Well, I'm leaving too.

_-time lapse-_

**RL: Poor Annabel.**

**JP: I thought that you'd might say that. There's a certain level of fondness between you two.**

_-time lapse-_

**JP: What? PRONGS!**

**JP:...Life is so much easier when you can understand what your friends say.**

* * *

><p>Annabel really hadn't gotten over the fact that Lily had called her a slag, AND the fact that she, Annabel, herself, had slapped Lily, who was supposed to be her best friend.<p>

BFF, right?

Which hurt. Which really really really hurt.

_Get ahold of yourself_, Annabel told herself sternly. But she was tired, so tired that she was on the verge of feeling like she was about to pass out.

"Hi Annabel," Remus said tiredly, sitting down next to her. "Lily was kicking up a storm in Gryffindor, screaming at James again."

"Why?" Annabel asked.

"Because James was yelling at her for yelling at you."

His answer was so easy, and slipped out his mouth so quietly that it took Annabel a few seconds to realize what he just said.

"Really?" Annabel said, feeling tears well up in her eyes, something that made her feel intensely embarrassed and touched at the same time. Remus shook back his sandy hair and looked up at her with his warm brown eyes.

"Really," he said. "It took guts, and now he's in his dorm, telling himself, 'I did the right thing. I did the right thing' over and over again."

Annabel smiled into her book, and wiped at her eyes. "James can be incredibly sweet. In fact, I might have had a crush on him if it wasn't so obvious he was in love with Lily. You're sweet, too, Remus. I think the only one that isn't sweet is Sirius. He's too flirty."

Remus gave a slight grin and bent over his work. "Shall we?"

A few minutes later, they had finally finished up the spell. Combining the seeds hadn't worked, so they focused to combining the literal structure of the plant all together. Soon, the Moondew and Rose had collided to make a rose that glowed silver. Annabel had sniffed it and promptly passed out for three minutes. She had awoken to Remus waving an acrid-smelling substance before her nose.

Remus then had started to scribble down an essay. Annabel had just copied him (because she was fairly useless at writing essays)

"Do people do that to you all the time?" Annabel wondered. Remus raised an eyebrow at her. "I mean, do they just copy your notes and it seems like you don't care at all?"

Remus gave a smile, but didn't comment about it. Instead, he said, "You have a way of making people smile. Did you know that?"

Annabel felt a warm tingle spread over her face as she blushed. "Thanks," she said.

She was effectively distracted from her other question.

* * *

><p>It wasn't that Remus didn't want to answer her question-he did, he really did-but he had no answer. People <em>did<em> do it to him all the time, and he _did_ care, he just didn't mention it.

Sometimes it was aggravating, he had to admit.

But he was the 'stuffy' marauder. The odd one out. Everyone knew James and Sirius, but he and Peter, they were the ones that weren't really appreciated.

"Mate, you alright?" James said cheerfully, appearing besides Remus."

"Feeling under the weather?" chimed in Sirius, who popped up next to Remus. "Maybe because of your long-time affection of Annabel?"

Remus shoved his friends. "Shove off, will you?" he snapped. "Annabel and I are Herbology partners, and have an "affection" of getting high academic scores."

"Prongs, did you understand a word of what Moony said?" Sirius asked.

"Nope!" James said cheerfully. "All I heard was, 'I love Annabel and want to snog her etc.,"

"Etc?" Remus raised an eyebrow. "Who says that? And I did not say that I love Annabel and want to snog her! She is a friend of mine!"

"A very, _very_ good friend of yours," Sirius put in, waggling his eyebrows.

Remus whacked him on the back. "Seriously?"

"Yes, Siriusly," Sirius snickered.

"Shut up," James said. "I think I know what's the real problem, eh?"

Remus held his breath.

"It's nearly your time of the month, isn't it!" James said, causing people that overheard to laugh. Remus flushed.

"Yes," he said quietly, "but you don't have to advertise it to everyone in the whole world. Remember what happened last year?" He looked at Sirius meaningfully and Sirius turned bright red and embarrassed.

Remus was relieved that they didn't know the real reason he was upset.

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><p><strong>Right, so I'm happy that I didn't get hit with a bunch of rotten tomatoes for the last chapter. I know, right? ASTONISHING. <strong>

**Review?**


	8. James Tells Awful Stories

**Again, thanks to my fabulous beta PhoenixFanatic999 for betaing this chapter! You rock, Paul!**

**Also, I'd just like to point out that I have a new story up! Well, it's not really a story, to tell the truth, but more of an anthology of Harry Potter one-shots that I do for challenges or just do for fun! **

**Adios! (See, my 'espanol' is still awful!)**

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><p>Chapter Seven: James Potter Tells Awful Stories<p>

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><p>Review Replies: <strong>Clevernugget<strong>: Glad you liked it! Yeah, I do write drama an awful lot, don't I...:/ **ForeverTeamEdward13** Yeah, poor Remus, i have a feeling I'm going to make him sad a lot more in the upcoming chapters. Yeah, sad little guy. very sad. **Mabel**: You did a double review, just saying, but I'm glad that you think that this isn't mary-sue-ish at all! That makes me HAPPY! **beba78**: I know, right? Lily is a bit psycho right now...just saying :D You don't think she's a bit too OCC, right? **georgethecunt**: Welll heeeellloooo :D I initially wasn't going to post this chapter until tomorrow, because I was supah busy today, but decided, 'just because georgethecunt is having a rotten day, I will' so here you go! A shinyyyy chapter! **xXxFredWeasleyForeverxXx**: Errrrrr...Remus is sad? Well, just to clear things up a bit, Remus is just a little...tireedd probably because of the next chapter! Ew, no, not that way, this is not going to be lemon, I'm perverted, yeah. :D Long reviews are always lovedd!** HGromanticsap**: OH NO! IMMA FAILURE AT LIFE AGAIN! *headdesks* I am a failure. I am a complete FAILURE!** GrippoMustaine1996**: LOL love your name, just sayin'. XD Awww, thanks for the sweetttt review! The story isn't going to end for a longgg time. **The Donut Eater**: LOL ROFL. You make me smile. Annabel and Remus, sittin' in a tree... And no, I don't know how it would work for someone to shag a ghost...o.^

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

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><p>Quote: I really want to love somebody. I do. I just don't know if it's possible forever and ever. ~Jim Carrey<p>

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><p>"I'm ready to make up when you are," Annabel said finally to Lily a day later. "Are you?"<p>

Lily looked up, her mouth pressed into a line. Green eyes stared at smoky blue ones, and then dropped to the floor abruptly. Suddenly, Lily looked abashed, very abashed, and tears were welling up in her eyes.

"I feel so guilty," Lily said suddenly, her eyes snapping back up, but resting about an inch lower than Annabel's eyes. "I feel like _I'm_ the slag, hanging over Blake like that. I'm sorry. I promised that I would stop, but I didn't."

"Yes, you did," Annabel said. After all, she was ready to make up, but she wasn't ready to stop the anger welling up in her whenever Blake's name was uttered. "And it's quite annoying. Do you think that you're ready to stop?"

Usually, this would ignite a flood of angry words from Lily, leading to a fight, but Lily just gave a deep sigh and a weary smile. "You know," she said, "if James is ready to stand up to me for you, you've got some powerful friends."

This made Annabel smile. "Am I still turning into a Potter?"

"No," Lily said after some thought, "No, you aren't."

Noelle, who had been watching this while she brushed her hair, rolled her eyes. "Goody then," she said sarcastically. "Now can we eat? Alice and I are practically expiring with hunger here while you two are proclaiming your undying friendship, blah blah blah."

Annabel stuck her tongue out at Noelle and everything seemed alright, for that day.

So they went down to breakfast.

Annabel felt large hands cover her eyes. "Guess who?" said a familiar voice.

"Well," Annabel said, grinning, "From the feminine, high-pitched voice, I can only deduce that it is the one, the only, Janice Potter!"

"JANICE?" James dropped his hands from her eyes. "That's seriously the best you can do, Anakin?"

"Anakin?" Annabel scoffed. "Please. Siria _has_ to back me up with the fact that Janice is a good substitute for James."

"I have to agree with Anakin," Sirius said. "Ouch!" Annabel had hit him on the shoulder.

"Don't call me Anakin!" Annabel said, pouting.

"Alright. Didn't mean to stick it up your arse. Ow!" Sirius glared. "Woman, at this rate, my arm is going to fall off. Ow!"

Lily had hit him this time. "Whoops, my arm slipped."

James' head whipped around so fast that he nearly hit Remus in the face with his bag. "Lily-flower!" he cried.

"And I'm out of here," Lily grumbled. True to her word, she had replied to Blake's advances with monosyllables, and it seemed to have made her grumpy. Or maybe she was grumpy because Alice had tripped and sent waffles dripping with maple syrup onto her shirt. But hey, what was magic for? "I have rounds tonight," she reminded Annabel. "With Remus."

"Oh!" Annabel turned to Remus. "So I guess I can't review our final project tonight?"

Remus shrugged. "Depends on what time we get back. Sometimes, it's only ten, but those are rare. Most likely, Lily and I will be back at twelve, twelve-thirty, one?"

"Well, that's specific," Noelle snarled.

Sirius gave her a smile. "Hey beautiful," he said. "How's it going?"

Noelle stared at him. "You know, I feel like it's awkward getting flirted with someone who's part girl, so sorry, but _bye_." She waved and fairly ran out of the hall. Alice remained, picking at her food.

With an annoyed and amused look on his face, Sirius threw his hands up into the air. "What happened to 'sex god' that's what I say! Women-OUCH!" This was because both Annabel and Alice had hit him at the same time. "Fine! Tweetles!"

"Tweetles?" James and Alice said at the same times.

"You know?" Sirius said, waving his hands expressively. "Women are birds, birds go tweet-tweet, tweet plural is tweetles?"

"Tweetles isn't a word, Padfoot," Remus said, a slight grin on his face.

"Right you are, Moony!" Sirius said. "Peter, add that to the list of 'Awesome Words that the Awesome Sirius Has Made-Up'!" As Peter took out a piece of paper that was weathered at the edges and folded so many times it was soft and crinkly, Sirius snatched it out of his hands. "Wait-what is this? 'Awesome Words that the Awesome _Siri-kins?_" Sirius gave a doggish growl. "WHO DID THIS?"

"I did," James said.

Sirius deflated. "Prongs!" he whined. "Why?"

Alice turned to Annabel. "Why are they changing moods so fast?"

"Puberty," Annabel said. "It's the answer to everything."

Alice snorted with laughter.

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><p>"Homework assignments, up!" Professor Flitwick chirped. Lily got out her homework and discreetly passed Alice a note.<p>

**What happened when I was gone at breakfast? Noelle looks nauseated and annoyed. -Lily**

_Nauseated? Why? -Alice_

**Why the hell do you think I'm asking you?**

_I dunno_

**Well?**

_Have you noticed that Noelle is fairly sensitive around Sirius?_

**Uh, no...Why would she be sensitive around him? He's the most un-sensitive person that I've ever met!**

_And the 'sex god' of Hogwarts. _

**I feel like an idiot, but what does that have to do with anything? I'm confused! I'm utterly, completely, confused! I'm supposed to be the top in my class, but right now, I feel like an idiot! AN IDIOT!**

_You had to get that out, didn't you?_

**Yes, it's been bottling up inside of me for ages. Where's Annabel?**

_Oh, some Slytherins hexed her, so she went to Madam Pomfrey. She'll be out in a minute or two. _

Right on cue, Annabel burst into the room. Lily twisted in her seat to see her friend, and gave Annabel a smile, which Annabel returned full-time as she ran and gave Flitwick a note from Madam Pomfrey. "Sorry I'm late Professor." Some Slytherins snickered. "I got hexed by some low-life scum." Annabel gave Flitwick a wide, innocent smile as the Slytherins glared.

"Perfectly alright, considering the circumstance!" Flitwick squeaked. "Now, off to your seat!"

Annabel settled in a seat not too far away from Lily, enabling Lily to flick a note at Annabel asking the same question about what happened with Noelle. Annabel scribbled down something, the tip of her tongue just barely sticking out of her mouth, and then she quickly flicked it back at Lily.

_**Honestly, I don't really know. I mean, this isn't the Noelle that we all know and love. This is one that's happy around us, shy around boys...do you suppose she went through adolescence? Naw, all of us have gone through it and come out for better or for worse. Maybe she's one of those people who is feeling really awkward about her feelings about boys. -Annabel**_

**You don't suppose she's bulimic, do you? -L**

Annabel's response was instantaneous and she threw the note back to Lily in a nanosecond. _**NO! Definitely not! The Noelle that I know would never do that to her body!**_

Lily tried to reason with Annabel. **Well, Alice said that Noelle was looking nauseous.**

Annabel actually stopped for a second and tapped the side of her quill against the table, brushing the feather against the wood of the desk before scribbling something down. Lily felt something hit the side of her head and then bounce to the floor. Quickly picking it up, Lily read, _**Well...there's a slight chance that it's **_**not**_** bulimia. It may just be a case of fancyitis.**_

**Fancyitis? There's no such thing!**

_**Yes, there is. It's where a girl is head over heels in lurve! Mwa ha ha!**_

Lily stole Annabel a look and shook her head.

**Forget it-you're impossible!**

_**Only to you, love.**_

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><p>Alice slammed the book onto the desk in front of her friend, Daphne. "Here," she said.<p>

Daphne blinked owlishly at her. "Thanks."

Daphne was one of those undersized sixth years who were brainy, but odd. As it was, she was a bit peaky, with a button nose and pretty gray eyes that contrasted oddly with her honey-colored hair, and she was short. Pretty short.

"What book is it?" Daphne asked.

Alice stared at her friend. "You gave it to me. How do you not remember what book it is?"

"I did?" Daphne turned the book over and stared at the cover. "The Four Armed Wand. Hmm..that does sound familiar. What's it about?"

"I don't know!" Alice cried. "You gave it to me!"

"So I did," said Daphne, sounding relieved. "What an honor. Thanks for lending it to me."

Alice threw up her hands. Daphne was impossible.

But not altogether an idiot.

"Hey," Daphne called out, suddenly looking quite thoughtful. "Frank broke up with his girlfriend."

Alice froze. And slowly, she turned around. "He did?" she said softly.

Daphne nodded.

"Oh," Alice said.

Then she ran to Lily.

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><p>Lily was not altogether sympathetic, but she seemed to be the solid foundation to the house. "You can't believe that just because Frank broke up with his girlfriend that he's going to shoot right for you," she told Alice. "These things take time to tide over."<p>

Alice scowled. "I know, it hasn't even been a month at school, but I love Hogwarts. It's a magical place, and I feel...I feel like _anything_ can happen when we're here."

"Anything _can_ happen," Noelle said lightly, checking her appearance in the mirror and brushing on some makeup. She sat behind Alice and started braiding Alice's elbow-length brown hair. "I think I should cut my hair short. Shall I?"

"Sure," Lily said.

"It'd look cute," admitted Alice.

Annabel slammed into the room with a ferocious scowl on her face. "Lily!" she said.

Or more like...mouthed.

"Annabel?" Alice yelped, standing up. "What happened?"

Annabel gestured towards Lily. Lily, standing up, performed the counter curse, and Annabel was once again able to talk again. "Thank you!" she cried. "Stupid Slytherins!"

"Why do they keep cursing you?" Lily asked patiently.

Annabel shrugged. "I can't help it, Lily. Whenever I see one of those big, fat, oafs, words just spill out of my mouth to insult them."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "And you can't help it, can you?"

"Nope, absolutely not," said Annabel with complete sincerity.

Lily sighed. "I hope you didn't curse Snivellus. After all...we used to be friends."

Annabel frowned.

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><p>Severus was having an awful week. Well, his days were always awful. Firstly, his 'comrades', 'friend's, 'assholes' and he were passing by Annabel, Lily's closest friend, when suddenly she turned on them and started shouting insults at them.<p>

You'd think this would make them mad.

But instead, Mulciber gave Annabel a lopsided smile and said, "Go out with me, baby?"

"Never!" screeched Annabel, stomping on Mulciber's foot. "You absolute IDIOT! How DARE you even SUGGEST such a thing?"

"_Langlock_," Mulciber snarled at her.

It was a pity, really. Annabel was a nice girl to Severus, oh, well, used to be. Before he made Lily sad. And depressed. And called her a mudblood. By accident, of course!

Severus sighed and bent over his books. He was supposed to be helping the Death Eaters, and right now, he was studying for a formula for a potion.

A potion that, incidentally, involved in turning someone invisible.

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><p>"Gee, I wonder why the Marauders haven't been doing any pranks lately," Lily said sarcastically as she, Annabel and Noelle sat down at the table. Alice was sitting next to Daphne, across the hall, and she waved at her friends.<p>

Annabel felt a surge of hope. Was James finally following her advice and well, 'deflating' his head and becoming a slight bit more mature?

"Don't worry Lily-flower," James said, and Annabel had to muffle a shriek as she whipped her head around. "We're planning one."

"You're despicable!" snapped Lily, her eyes flashing bright green.

"And lovable," said James, grinning.

Annabel sighed. "Alright, where's Sirius?" she asked. "Wherever you are, he is."

"Actually, he isn't with me," James commented casually. "He's off sticking his tongue down some poor girl's throat before he dumps her like last night's garbage."

A small noise escaped from Noelle's throat and she fled the hall.

James stared after the girl. "What's wrong with her?"

Lily stood up in a swift movement and slapped James quickly. "_Nothing's_ wrong with her," she snapped. "Annabel?"

Annabel sighed, casting one longing look at her plate. "I'll go console her."

There were downsides to being the empathetic one when Alice wasn't around.

Annabel found Noelle sitting in the library, her hair falling in butterfly-light strands across her face. Her eyes stared into the distance.

"Ahem?" Annabel asked.

Noelle snapped her head up. "I should cut my hair," she said, laughing hoarsely and pushing her hair away from her face. She looked past Annabel and her eyes turned as cold as stone.

"What?" Annabel asked, turning around. She scanned the room, skipping over a boy with gray eyes who was snogging a girl to death, and then slowly backtracked and focused on the boy. Noelle was ripping a piece of parchment into tiny little pieces, looking anywhere but at Annabel and Sirius. "Oh."

"Don't sound like that," Noelle snapped.

"What?" Annabel asked, surprised.

"That 'Oh'!" said Noelle looking completely aggravated. "Like you know what all my troubles are and can fix them with a wave of your wand. Bippity-boppity-boo! Ha!" She took a deep sigh and massaged her temples with the tips of her fingers. "Sorry. A little crabby today I guess I am. A little hungry too."

Annabel thought about her plate at the table, untouched, and felt a stab of sympathy for her stomach. "Well breakfast is already over," she sighed, shifting her rucksack from one shoulder to the other. "I guess we'll just have to make do until lunch. Unless the professors are giving out free food..." Her face lightened up, but then darkened. "I'll just have to wait."

Noelle laughed and grabbed her bag. They walked along the corridor to Transfiguration, where Alice and Lily were sitting together, whispering, and they took a seat together, in the back. Sirius slipped in just when the bell rang, and to Annabel's outrage, he sat with a blonde girl. To further her rage, he was only a seat away. Noelle's jaw clenched.

That is, until Sirius turned around and threw a note at Annabel, hitting her square on the forehead. Annabel picked up the note from where it had bounced onto the floor and opened it. The first thing she saw was this:

**This is for the eyes of Annabel only.**

Noelle scowled, but turned away. The minute she did, ink started appearing on the page, showing a long paragraph written in Sirius' messy script that drove all of the teachers crazy. Annabel nearly dropped the note in shock at how much was written there.

**Hey Anna. **(Annabel scowled at the abbreviation)** Sorry about dismissing Noelle like that, but she's seriously frustrating me (haha, get it Anna? SERIOUSLY? Siriusly? No? Not even a prize?) with her weirdness. Not that she is _completely_ weird or anything, but she's acting weird. Please don't kill me. You can kiss me however...I wouldn't mind. But Noelle is acting...WEIRD. Awkward. So I'm sort of confused about it...hey, you're her friend! Why don't you help out a poor chap and tell me what the hell is wrong with her? You know...friend to friend stuff Anna...**

Annabel scribbled down, _Oh, of course Siri-kin, anything for Siri-kin...Honestly Siri-kin? Just because you're Sirius Black doesn't mean I have to grovel at your feet. Can you honestly imagine me groveling at your feet?_

His answer was immediate.** Of course I can. I can imagine everyone at the school groveling at my feet...apart from James and Remus of course. **

_Why not Remus? Isn't he mild?_

Sirius' reply was so ferocious that Annabel blinked several times. **Remus will NEVER bow down at my feet, even if I have to kick him in the face to prevent him from doing it. Neither will Peter...but he likes to, so whatever. Us Marauders are equal, and like brothers. **

Annabel's mouth curved up slightly. _Wow. I just wish that you would tell Lily that. _

**Yeah, me too. Too bad she hates our guts. **

_No, she hates James and you...she likes Remus and Peter...well, sorry, but she doesn't like Peter that much either. _

**Thanks. Ha ha ha hee hee hee. No, not funny. **

_Ha ha ha hee hee hee? What the hell is that?_

**That, madam, is the Sirius laugh. **

_I most fervently do not want to hear the Sirius laugh in real life. _

**That's what James says.**

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><p>"Remus are you okay?" Annabel asked, concerned. The boy's eyes were bloodshot when she decided to sit with the Marauders that day with Lily (who protested a fair bit) Alice and Noelle (who sat as far as she could from Sirius) "You look awful."<p>

"Because that's nice, Annabel," snorted Alice. Noelle was wolfing down food, and so was Annabel.

"I'm fine," Remus said.

"You sure? Maybe you should go to Pomfrey. She probably-"

"-I said I was okay!" Remus interrupted, a definite edge in his voice. Annabel fell into a silence, a hurt feeling gnawing at her conscience. His eyes softened somewhat. "I'm fine, Annabel. Just a little tired."

"Oh," Annabel said softly.

Alice, however, was laughing with James, something that people did not see very often, so Annabel scooted a little closer to see what they were talking about. It was a story about James nicking something from Lockhart that Lockhart was apparently gushing about magic problems and Bone needing a solution to a magic problem. Not so funny in Annabel's opinion, but apparently James was embellishing somewhat. Ah well, James always did tell awful stories.

"And then I walked over to the lout and told him, 'Gee, that's too bad, Bone. You know what, I think I know the solution to all of your troubles.' And there I handed him the golden stone that I snitched from Lockhart, and you know what the lumphead does? He takes it and says, 'Thanks'!"

Alice was doubling over with laughter. "What a blockhead!" she said. "You honestly did that? What happened? Did Lockhart find out?"

"Well, the next day when Lockhart's interrogating everyone, Bone walks over to him and says, 'Now I can beat you in the role, because I have a magic rock', and holds up the rock. Lockhart's eyes get really big like this-" and here James bulged his eyes so he looked like some kind of toad, "-and he asks, 'Where did you get that, Bone?' in this really tight voice like his knickers are pulled up too high, and Bone goes, 'Blimey, I got it from this nice chap who told me that it was blessed by priests.' And of course, the mayor's there, and he goes all, 'Well, what a smart rock,'and heaps on the praise on Bone."

"And then...?" Alice breathed, her eyes shining with anticipation.

James was puffing out with pride. "Well, naturally Bone goes, "Well, blimey sir, if you really like the rock, I think you should have it," and in front of Lockhart he hands over Lockhart's greatest treasure to the mayor, and Lockhart's all helpless. And you know what the mayor does next?"

"What?" asked Alice.

"Well, naturally, the mayor is all proud to have that rock because obviously it's buzzing of magic, and I'm telling Tommy that I'm going to win the ten galleons from him. But then you know what the mayor does? He goes over to Lockhart, the blockhead, and says, "Hey, mate, you know, since you've done such a good job, why don't you take this rock?" and Bone, the old arse, says, "Sure, sure, Lockhart, go take it." And Lockhart's all smiles and thank you's, and I had to pay Tommy the ten galleons. But I won it back."

"How?" Alice was grinning madly.

"Well, naturally, I cut his purse."

Alice gasped. "You didn't?"

Annabel looked around and grinned as she saw that down at the table, Frank was glaring daggers at James as he regaled Alice with his tales.

"I did," crowed James, looking triumphant. "But the old miser had pinched away every knut, and all I got were a measly two Galleons.I think that ol' Tommy's dead and gone, but you can't be sure. So now I have to search every place before I sit down, because Tommy wants those two galleons, see."

"Surely, he must've forgotten...how long ago was this?" Alice asked.

James winked. "Lovely, lovely, innocent Alice, don't ever change, will you? Love, it was only a day before school starts."

Alice whacked herself in the forehead. "I forgot who I was talking to momentarily," she said, laughing. "I'm talking to James Potter. I should've known!"

James assumed a mollified air. "Well, I am quite well-known, you know."

Frank stabbed a sausage.

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><p>"Mate, you alright?" James asked Frank, who was looking more sullen than ever.<p>

"What're you playing at?" Frank asked sharply.

James stared at Frank, lost for words. "What?"

"What're you playing at with Alice? Going to break her heart?" Frank was turning a dull red and seemed to be struggling for words, but he kept at it. "She's a nice girl. Doesn't..deserve to have her heart broken."

James laughed. "Blimey, Frank, didn't know you had such a high opinion of the girl. Listen, Alice is nice. She's sweet, she's smart, and hell, she's pretty too." This didn't seem to help Frank, because he was turning redder, so James hastily added, "but she's not my type. You know that I still like Lily-flower."'

"But you didn't look at her _once_ this entire time. You were talking to Alice." Frank was sounding whiny.

"Of course not!" James said. "It's that Blake guy from Ravenclaw. He's ruining the relationship that Lily-flower and I have."

Frank stared at the taller boy for a second. "Uh...you and Lily don't _have_ a relationship, James."

James winked. "That's what everyone things. But Lily and I have the truest, most romantic relationship...in here." He tapped his skull.

"No wonder you're so muddled," Frank murmured.

"Excuse me?" James tried to look offended, but instead succeeded in making himself look extremely stupid. The two boys started laughing, pounding each other on the back, and wrestling around on the floor. Soon, Sirius joined them, tugging at Frank's clothes and putting James into a head-lock so easily that it almost shamed James, so he swept Sirius' feet out from under him and started to wrestle with his friends.

Remus yawned and stared moodily at the floor.

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><p><strong>Yay! Loong chapters! Unfortunately, at this point, the chapters start getting a bit shorter for about three chapters, like 2000 words or something, but I think you can handle that. And I won't update for a day or two. <strong>

**OMG HARRY POTTER THE SEVENTH MOVIE IS COMING OUT TOMORROW *Dances a happy dance* SO. FREAKING. EXCITED. And a little sad.**

**Review?**


	9. Mortifications and Moony

**Hello again! Here's your new chapter, a very short one (for which I am very sorry) but it was a lot of fun to write! Thanks for all your fabulous reviews: they're what's keeping me going! Honestly! Anyway, I'm watching the Harry Potter LAST movie tonight, awwww! I'm sooo going to miss it! Again, thanks to my beta, PhoenixFanatic999**

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><p>Chapter Eight: Mortifications and Moony<p>

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><p>Review Replies: <strong>ForeverTeamEdward13:<strong> YAY! I made you laugh, i feel super speshul :D And here is your update, yes, very very nice. **georgethecunt**: Awwww. I am your favoritest ever? Thankkks! Yes, of course it's a word, why wouldn't it be a word? Duhhh! Yeah...James tells awful stories, like always...he's a very bad storyteller, but let's just say that it was a spectacular story to Alice. Awesome chapter? THANKS!** Mabel:** LOL yeah, that was my favorite bit in that part. You like the nicknames? YAY! I called Annabel "Anthony" at first, but then I watched star wars and I was like, "ANAKIN" so yeppp. **beba78** She's not acting OCC? YAY! thanks soooo much!Fiery redheads. I actually can't claim credit for the 'time of the month' bit because of my friend. We were IMing and she joked, "Oh, so Remmy's having his time of the month again" and I was like "OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH I AM GOING TO USE THAT" **xXxFredWeasleyForeverxXx: **Yay for reviewers that say that my chapters are lovely XD I know, last HP movie EVER...I wish that J. would write a book from a Hufflepuff's point of view :D** Clevernugget: **Yeah, boys. Fortunately, I don't have a brother! :D Lily and James...well, this is according to canon, so you can just wait and see. I know, I'm sooo nice. As for Noelle and Siri-kin, I am winging it for them. Maybe a bit of drama mixed in...perhaps. **HGromanticsap**: Really? Three o' clock? You poor girl. Daphne reminds you of Catrin? Unfortunately, Daphne is probably not going to have the biggest role ever, but hey, that could change. I've been getting requests from people asking if I could write a small Catrin/Louis fic, and that might happen, but probably not. **The Donut Eater**: Gabbiness? ROFL. Never heard of that before. La-de-dah, I'm so excited! Tickets sold out yesterday so i couldn't watch it :C** FleurSuoh**: WOW i had to write your name three times before I got it right. I'm glad you like the story! THanks for reviewing!** XxSweetAddictionsxX**: OH NO! If you cry, then I'm probably going to be BAWLING during the last movie. O.O. Well, if it helps, there aren't going to be many super sad bits in this story, and like always, a HAPPY ENDING, so, that's a headers up! Loads of Moony romance in here...and not just Annabel/Moony, as you'll find out. SPOILERS!

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

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><p>Quote: I am not a vegetarian because I love animals; I am a vegetarian because I hate plants. ~A. Whitney<p>

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><p>"My god, Remus, what <em>happened<em> to you?" Annabel gasped when Remus arrived at breakfast that day. She was already full (having gotten up early) and was just sitting there, sipping her orange juice occasionally and having small talk with a fifth-year in front of her.

"Nothing," Remus said defensively.

Annabel arched an eyebrow.

In her view, Remus looked horrible. His usually clean and tidy sandy-brown hair was in a messy disarray, and there were bags under his eyes, which were more bloodshot than ever. And he walked with a hunched, stooping gait, as if he was already fifty years old and getting older by the minute.

"Nothing," said Remus again as he saw that Annabel was staring at him. At that moment, his foot caught on a little raise in the tile, and he nearly tripped. Annabel knocked over her glass of orange juice in her haste to help him. He leaned gratefully on her arm as she guided him towards his seat.

Usually, one of the Marauders helped him. But he had risen too early for them, and since it wasn't the full moon (yet, the full moon was today) he decided to try and do something by himself.

He dearly regretted it.

Cloaks were one of the problems. Stretching his back muscles made painful throbs appear, and he had to tug on a shirt (which hurt sooo bad). Luckily, pulling on his pants only made a slight throb come. When he was finally dressed, he couldn't reach up to comb his hair, so he left it like that. Exhaustion swept over in a wave over him, and he nearly keeled over into his waffles.

"Steady," warned Annabel, holding him up. "Sorry Stace, I think we'll have to continue our _fascinating_ discussion tomorrow, would that be alright with you?" She flashed the fifth-year a charming smile and helped Remus up.

"Sure, Annabel," sighed the fifth-year. "Hey, he's Remus, right?"

"Yeah," Annabel said, surprised. "Um...doesn't everyone know that?"

Stacey blushed, her bright yellow hair bobbing from side to side. "Oh, well, I just know him...especially..." She giggled, and fled.

"Huh. Hey Remmy..."

"Don't call me that."

"Hey Remus...I think someone has a _crush _on you."

Remus groaned.

Annabel huffed. "Do I need to spoon feed you?"

Remus turned bright red. "Uh, no, I'll manage."

Laboriously, Remus lifted up his arms and started slowly eating his food. Annabel watched him before taking another sip of her orange juice. "Sorry Annabel," he mumbled around a mouth full of pancakes. "Just had a bad week."

"Well, today's Friday," Annabel said cheerfully. "Tomorrow, we're free. Gosh, I can't believe it's only been two weeks and I've already fought with Lily."

Remus mumbled into his food.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Diary,<em>

_ Well, Frank broke up with Janica, but that doesn't mean that he likes me...generally...ugh, why are boys so annoying? You can't live with them, you can't live without them._

_ I just want to kick something. _

_ But of course, I can't. I'm sweet little Alice. I've always been stuck with the word "sweet". If I asked someone to describe me, the first word that they would say would be, "sweet" or "nice" or "kind". That's how life is. _

_ Alice Longbottom. _

_ Merlin, I'm head-over-heels. _

_ It's sad. I just want to stop liking him-but it's like I can't. I've been waiting. I'm tired of waiting. I just want to stop waiting for something to happen. _

_ Why does life suck?_

_ Love, _

_ Alice Prewett._

* * *

><p>"What are you wearing?" Annabel asked James, laughing, as she encountered him in the greenhouse. Remus was there, an thin hand clutching their project.<p>

James scowled. He was wearing a head thing of pink cloth.

Lily, behind Annabel, laughed as well. "You look like you're wearing a habit."

Her friends turned to her, a confused look on their faces. But James was wearing a delighted glow on his face (or was that just the sun shining through the pink cloth?) and he whispered to Sirius, "She laughed! She liked it! I love you, mate."

"What the hell is a habit?" asked Annabel, confused.

Lily muttered something that sounded like, "stupid bloody wizards and their knowledge of the muggle world" and said, "It's a muggle thing."

James smiled.

Professor Greento bustled into the room, her blonde hair all frizzy and bunched up around her face in tight curls from the humidity. "Alright class," she said. "Today, we will be working on presenting our projects. Up first...James and Severus."

The greasy-haired boy trudged up with his project at hand. James followed, a deep scowl on his face. Both of them exchanged a angry barrage of words before holding up their plant, which was yellow and a cross between a dandelion and a daffodil.

"Behold," James said. "The Dandodil."

People started laughing.

Severus growled. "We used to _Turnificus_ spell to meld the two plants together. This plant has no magical properties at all. None."

"Alright," said Professor Greento, looking slightly startled. "Um...next is Lily and Sirius."

Lily stood up, kicking at Sirius with the edge of her toe until he stood up grudgingly. "We mixed a four-leaf clover with Bubotuber pus to create a fairly dangerous clover that has the plant juice of the Bubotuber pus."

"Yeah," snarled Sirius, holding up a puffed up finger. "Fairly dangerous, huh? She's a stickler, a prude."

Lily forced a smile and kicked him in the shin. "You're so charming, Sirius."

"Aren't I," said Sirius, smiling at her.

Lily's smile dropped and she glared.

"Alright!" interjected Professor Greeto, forcibly seperating them with a flick of her wand. "Next is Noelle and Peter."

It went on like that, with each partner presenting their project and then handing in the written portion of their project. Some plants, like the one that Noelle and Peter created, spewed ink all over the people closest to them. One plant started to sing to a Slytherin, "Your oily nose is full of slime, your eyes should be puke, and you SUCK. HA-HA!" and some other...ruder...things. This deducted two points from Gryffindor, but Greento seemed to find it a little funny, though her mouth remained straight.

"Remus and Annabel."

"Um, well, we used the spell 'Glemenosis' to fuse the seeds together and grew them quickly..." Remus rattled on and on and soon, even Professor Greento's eyes began to glaze over.

"Remus...I do think that's enough," Annabel told him.

Remus closed his mouth and handed the flower to Professor Greento. He had an embarrassed look in his eyes―like he had done the rambling things many times and it never got any easier.

Annabel never thought that Marauders got embarrassed. After all, James had gotten rejected by Lily plenty of times, but he never let it get him down. In fact, he seemed to look forward to it. And Sirius―Sirius was practically the king of happiness. He dated girls, he broke up with them, and then he was still smiling.

But here Remus was, looking completely mortified.

Annabel wanted so badly to comfort him, to say _something_. People had been yawning and on the brink of sleeping during his report.

But tongue-tied, she just stared down at the top of her table.

* * *

><p>It never got easier.<p>

"Moony, you alright?" James asked.

"Yeah, sure," Remus grumbled. They walked down the corridor quite slowly (due to Remus' aching muscles) and they passed by Sirius enthusiastically snogging a pretty brunette. "I just embarrassed myself in front of the class _again_. If Annabel hadn't been there to shut me up, then I'd have been a sad, sad arse."

James shrugged. "At least it isn't like the time when ten people actually fell asleep―including the teacher!" He offered a bright smile and messed up his hair casually.

But Remus didn't smile. "Prongs, you're not making me feel any better."

"Overreaction," diagnosed James. "Lily, will you go out with me?" he asked as the red head passed.

"No," snapped Lily, stalking away.

James shrugged. "Ah well, no harm, no foul. And you _are_ a sad, sad arse."

"Oh shut up," Remus said, though he was smiling slightly. "At least when I ask a girl out ten thousand times, she actually says _yes_."

"You wouldn't know," said James. "You've never asked a girl out ten thousand times, heh."

* * *

><p>Lily was staring at the ground that night.<p>

Annabel braided her hair and shrugged into her cami and shorts. "Lily, what's wrong?" she asked.

Lily's hair dropped in front of her face. "Nothing."

"Nothing, huh?" Annabel pushed Lily's hair away. "Lily, there is definitely something wrong with you and I want to know what."

"Nothing!" Lily said defensively. "I'm going to sleep."

"A-Alright," said Annabel, biting her lip. "Well, think about it this way-the worst is over and we should all be happy and dandy."

"Happy and dandy, right?" Lily said, a ghost of a smile appearing on her face. "Night."

"Night," Annabel said quietly.

Lily was hiding something.

* * *

><p><em>Annabel's list of things people are hiding from her:<em>

_1. The Marauders are definitely hiding something_

_2. Lily's hiding something. And she's super depressed about it._

_3. Blake's an arse_

_4. That's not really something to hide because it's so obvious he's an arse_

_5. ARSEY BLAKE_

_6. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA_

She was obviously crazy.

* * *

><p>Noelle crept down the hall with a secretive look on her face, Sirius noted as he stroll casually down the hall.<p>

"What're you creeping about for?" Sirius asked blankly.

Noelle shot up with a defensive expression. "Nothing! Shut up! Go away!"

"Uh-huh," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "You're one strange duck, Noelle dear. So what the effing hell is wrong?"

"Nothing!" shot Noelle again. "Go away!"

Sirius stuck around.

"Where were _you?"_ Noelle lashed out. "Snogging some girl?

Sirius shrugged. "For once, no."

There was a creak as Filch lurched into the hallway and Noelle slammed back against the wall, accidentally slamming against Sirius, who let out a puff of air, almost soundlessly. But the lantern swung their way and Noelle squeaked.

"Who's there?" Filch croaked out. "I know you're there."

Sirius reached behind Noelle and pressed a section of the wall. For a minute, the wall turned to air, and Noelle and Sirius tumbled, through, Filch letting out a yell of delight as he caught the sight of the ends of Noelle's hair, and then the wall turned to stone again, and they were in a damp hallway.

Noelle coughed. "Where_ are_ we?"

"Secret passageway," Sirius said in a matter-of-fact way. "We'll just wait here until they past."

Noelle nodded.

And they sat there, in the grimy room with the whistling wind rushing around, and around and under, lifting up her hair, but Noelle couldn't help but _smile_.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh look! Happiness in a completely weird and whacky chapters! To clear things up: Remus is depressed because he has the tendency to ramble on and on and gets embarrassed and such like that. ANd I don't know why, but I really like the last sentence because it shows a possible romance blooming between Noelle and Sirius...SPOILERS. Any questions? Feel free to PM me! I'm an open book!<strong>

**Review?**


	10. Doornails & the Pending Question of Help

**Some of you may have noticed that I changed the summary of the story. Well, unfortunately, it didn't have enough Remus/Annabel in it. Sooooo, yepperdoodles, I changed it to this:** Up close, Remus' eyes were amber. A very tawny, dramatic amber. In fact, Annabel could feel herself melting under his gaze... "Annabel, why are you drinking gravy?" Sixth and Seventh Year, RL/OC** Yes, total Remus/Annabel goodness. And some humor. I lovveee humor. Anyway, i watched The Deathly Hallows and I will SAVE my rant about it and pottermore for the bottom for some very bored people to read. **

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><p>Chapter Nine: Doornails and the Pending Question of Help<p>

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><p>Review Replies: <strong>ForeverTeamEdward13: <strong>I love you, did you know that? XD. Seriously. You reviewed like, four minutes after the chapter came out, which I think is completely spectacular! So thanks SOOOO much!** georgethecunt:** I have many names, nah, just joking. On the internet RPGs, I'm known as Aurelie, but in real life, I'm named Sandra. So helllooo, nice to meet you. What's your name? **xXxFredWeasleyForeverxXx**: Ah yeah, James dear. He's always so...persistent. You'll see him in his full persistentness later on in the chapters (I have a great one including a spell coming up) **Mabel: **Yes, Blake. He's incredibly fun to write. Whenever I write him, the passage flies fast. In fact, the person that I really REALLY hate to write is...duh duh DUH...Daphne. She's really hard to write. I'm actually stuck on a passage including her. **HGromanticsap: **see you in two weeks! I'll miss you incredibly! Yeah...two equals six. Who knew. ** FleurSuoh: **Your name is still really hard to write, but I love it never the less. Yeah, i cried like a baby...:D Here's the "awesome work" thanks soo much for reading!** XxSweetAddictionsxX**: Yeah, well, for those of you who've read Secrets of a Seventh Year, you all know my tendency to prolong things. But with this one, you will wait...A LOT OF CHAPTERS...Spoilers!** Clevernugget: **LOL HAHA. Yeah, people tell me that BD reminds them of SOSY. Lexi/Finnus was the second favorite pairing after Catrin/Louis, and Addie/James after them with Lisle/Damian at last place. Mostly because a lot of people hated Lisle. ** beba78:** Here's your newwww chapter! Thanks for the superfoxyawesome review! I like the nickname Remmy too! But I can't claim credit for that EITHER. :D

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

* * *

><p>Quote: You're about as useful as a one-legged man at an arse-kicking competition. ~Rowan Atkinson<p>

* * *

><p>The next morning dawned sunny and bright.<p>

Of course, it wasn't very good for Annabel. In the course of five minutes, she managed to fall on her face, hit her funny bone on the doorknob and then stub her toe when she kicked a wall. The second was _her_ fault, though, but she liked to blame it on the damn wall.

And then, naturally, she fell down the stairs.

Down the stairs, swearing and rolling, to come to a stop at the feet of a very surprised Blake.

"What are you looking at?" she had snapped at him, kicking him hard in the shin and walking away angrily. If there was something that she hated more than falling down the stairs, it was falling down the stairs in front of the idiotic Blake himself.

"How do you bloody fall down the stairs?" Remus asked as she limped her way to the open spot next to him. "I mean, it's _stairs_. You walk down them. You don't go all 'Whoop-dee-doo, I think I'll fly' and _jump_ down them."

"It's a common error," snapped Annabel. "You know, anyone could make it. You miss a step, you lose your balance-"

"-and your common sense-"

"Shut up, will you? You lose your balance, and next thing you know, you're tumbling down the stairs. All whooosh." Annabel pantonimed someone falling down the stairs. "And then you crack your neck and you're deader than a doorknob. Or is it doornail?"

"What the hell is a doornail?" Remus asked.

"I don't know; you're the bookwhiz, you go find out," Annabel said scornfully. "But you're dead, alright. Dead dead dead. You broke your neck and you're dead. D-E-A-D. Got that?"

Remus smiled. "Alright. I'm dead, if that suits you. No more copying my work."

"I didn't mean that _you_ were dead, blockhead," Annabel said, hitting him lightly and taking a forkful of bacon. "I meant that the person, who fell down the stairs, was dead."

"You can't die from falling down the stairs."

"Oh yes you can!"

"And anyway, you said 'you' so I figured that you meant me.

"Blockhead! You can't just assume that!"

"There you go again, using 'you'. Are you talking about the person who fell down the stairs again?"

Annabel laughed.

Lily's bright red hair was curled today and fell perfectly around her face as she sat down next to Annabel. "What _are_ you two arguing about?"

"Falling down stairs and how it could affect the life cycle by cutting it short abruptly when you DIE. DIE LIKE A MONSTROUS BEAST!" Annabel grinned. "Unless, of course, you're a witch. Wizards, bah!"

"A werewolf, perhaps?" offered Lily. "Those are considered monstrous beasts."

"Some of them," conceded Annabel. "Though, in truth, they're just regular wizards that were-unfortunately-bitten by a stupid mangy BAD wizard. BAD! BAD DOGGY!"

By now, people were staring.

"Quiet down, Annabel!" Lily said, laughing as she said it. "People are staring."

"That's because they all want to be bitten by bad doggies."

"No, they don't," snapped Remus. "Believe me, they do not want to be bitten by _bad doggies_."

"Well isn't someone Mr. Grumpy," Annabel said. "Is it something we said?"

"NO!" Remus stalked away with his rucksack, brushing past James and Sirius, who turned and glared accusingly at Lily and Annabel before heading towards them.

"What was that all about?" Lily asked Annabel. "Did we do something?"

"I have no idea," said Annabel, staring after Remus, confused. "He seemed in a good enough mood earlier this morning, but hey, people can have sudden mood changes."

"Moony is moody," said Sirius, sitting across from them. "What _were_ you guys talking about?"

"I was talking about dead doornails," said Annabel. "You know, dead doornails. Did you know that Vlad the Impaler fed parents their children? How disgusting! Sirius, if I fed you your child, would you eat it?"

"That depends," said Sirius. "Do I have to marry a cousin of mine?"

"Ew, incest!"

"And then she said, 'DIE LIKE A MONSTROUS BEAST'," said Lily. "And I said, like a werewolf?"

Annabel nodded. "We talked about werewolfs and death for a while, and then Remus became Mr. Grumpypants."

James snickered. "Moony's grumpy sometimes."

Sirius scowled. "Werewolfs? What a weird subject."

"But werewolves are beasts," Lily said thoughtfully. "And so are vampires. But at least werewolves are cursed to become werewolves and they can just roam around in the woods. While vampires have to feed on human blood or it's to the morgue for them."

"Vampires can't go to a morgue, Lil," Annabel said. "I mean, they can't exactly _die_ of naturally causes. Muggles would freak out."

"Technically, they can. They can die," James said. "You know what are beasts? Inferi."

"_You_ know about Inferi?" Lily said, looking shocked. "I thought I was the only one in this whole school other than the teachers."

"Nah, my dad was telling me about them in the summer. Seems some idiot was making Inferi and there was a whole mess about it. Ol' Voldy's rising, and that isn't good, no doubt. I'm not surprised that you know about them, Evans. You've got a right brilliant mind." There was no admiration in James' voice, just a frank, honest word as if he believed what he was saying.

"Oh." Lily turned a bit red. "Thanks. But I have to study all the time. You seem to get good grades effortlessly."

James grinned lazily, his eyes sparkling. "Thanks."

Then it popped out. "Does this mean you'll go out with me?"

The shy, playful blush on Lily's cheeks turned bright red with anger. "Is that all you think about Potter? No! Absolutely not!"

Annabel hid a smile. _You blew it, James, _she thought.

Lily stormed away.

James turned to Annabel with a confused look. "_Now_ what did I do, Annabel? I just asked her out! What's so wrong with that?"

"She was having a fine and dandy conversation with you, Prongs," Sirius said, clapping his friend on the back. "And now you've gone and screwed it all up. Congrats mate."

James pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and scowled. "It's all foreign to me the way girls think," he said.

Annabel leaned across the table. "You're being crass, James," she said lightly, and then scowled. "Here come Blake."

The blonde-haired, cheerfully smiling guy sauntered over and sat across from Annabel. Annabel looked at the food in front of her and sighed. "Oh dear. Now I can't eat it. Your very presence tainted my dear, darling food."

Blake smiled at her. "Hi Annabel. How are you?"

"Shut up and go away Blake," she snapped. "I'm talking to James and Sirius, if you get what I mean. I don't think I could possibly include time for you and your absurdity."

"I think we misunderstand each other," Blake said. "Maybe we should try again. Hi, I'm Blake."

"Hi, I'm Annabel," Annabel said, glaring into Blake's blue eyes. "Now go away."

"I think we should get to know each other," Blake said sincerely.

"My favorite color is yellow," Annabel said. "Yours, however, should be black, because whenever I see you, that's the color my mood is."

"I'm feeling the love, Annabel dear."

"Listen up, idiot," Annabel snapped. "I am not _exuding_ any sense of love towards you and instead, I am trying to exude hatred. And I am not your dear, because any poor female that would be unfortunate enough to be your dear would have to be a sorry, sorry excuse of a female."

"So you're saying that Lily is a sorry, sorry excuse of a female."

It took a minute for it to sink in, but once it did, Annabel practically screeched with anger. "You do NOT speak of my friend like that!"

James was bellowing as well. "WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOU LOATHSOME MAGGOT?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Ooh, Blakey boy, you're in for it."

But the narcassistic idiot himself wasn't even batting an eyelash, Annabel noted to her absolute disgust. Instead, he seemed to be perfectly fine with their yelling. He was even _smiling_.

"WIPE THAT SMILE OFF YOUR FACE!" Annabel yelled. "I HATE YOU! I ABSOLUTELY HATE YOU!"

Then she did the girl thing and slapped him.

Hate was a strong word, she noted a little later as Professor McGonagall gave her detention, and not the most mature word. It was childish, and even worse, now she had to serve detention with James (not that she minded him) and Blake (now him, she minded) and in Potions (ugh, she hated Potions).

The world hated her, didn't it?

* * *

><p>"LILY!"<p>

Lily sighed heavily and swung around. "What do you want, Potter?" she snapped. "A date? Or are you here to sing about the everlasting charms of YOUR Lily-flower? Because, I assure you, I do not want to hear it." She shifted the massive pile of books in her arms.

"Nothing." James Potter shifted nervously and held out a bright green quill. Lily recognized it as her favorite quill. "You dropped this." He placed it on the pile of books.

Lily nearly smiled. "How do I know that you didn't steal it from me?" she asked.

"I'm not a thief."

It wasn't at all what she had been expecting. "Oh. Um, thank you then." She gave a small smile. "That's unexpected."

"Right. Do you need any help with those books?"

Any comradeship that she had been feeling with Potter disappeared in an instant, just like her smile. "No," she snarled. "I'm fine. I'm not a weakling."

"I never said that!" Potter backtracked quickly. "I meant that it's such a huge pile, so I thought that maybe you would need help."

"Just because I have a pile of books and that I'm a girl doesn't meant that I need your help," Lily said, gritting her teeth.

"I never meant that because you were a girl!"

"Oh really?" Lily raised an eyebrow. "If a boy, say Remus, had a pile of books in his arms, and seemed to be having trouble, would you offer to help him?"

"Of course not! I'd tell him, 'Moony, do yourself a favor and cast a levitating charm on those'."

"So why don't you treat me that way?"

"Moony and I are boys! Boys treat boys differently, so naturally, he wouldn't like it if I helped him!" James Potter gave her an incredulous look. "You know that, don't you?"

"Of course I know that, so shut up and leave me alone!"

James opened his mouth, then closed it, and then opened it again. "Go out with me, Lily?"

It was the way he said it, so sad and folorn that made Lily just pause for the briefest instant. "No, Potter," she said, marching away.

* * *

><p>"So they would be a good couple, wouldn't they?" Annabel asked innocently, a smile playing on her face.<p>

Remus marveled at how she liked to talk. It was all talking with her, and no studying. Really, she seemed like one of those girls who never studied, copied Lily's homework, crammed before the test and still got an acceptable grade. "I guess," he said.

"Oh come on, you," Annabel teased. "You're supposed to be the relationship guru in the Marauders, right?"

"If that was true, then Lily and James would have started dating a long time ago," Remus said. "I am _not_ the relationship guru. It's-it's not manly!"

"Manly?" Annabel elbowed him lightly. "You, dear Remus, are not manly at all-sorry." She grinned. "Everyone loves you anyway. Especially Stacey."

Remus turned the page of his book and tried to ignore Annabel. _Four sweeps counterclockwise and one Venticular sweep with the incantation "Melificus" should-_

"I've got it!"

Remus' spell went awry and hit the chair, which started dancing. Which was odd because the spell, since he was pouring over it, was only supposed to make something turn blue. Spells never made sense.

"Got what?" Remus asked irritably. "Prior Incancantum."

"I got why they would be a funny couple! Because Sirius is flighty!"

"You're supposed to use 'flighty' for girls," said Remus.

"Yeah yeah," snapped Annabel. "But Noelle's so serious about her boyfriends-" Remus made an odd little snort of laughter and she scowled at him- "and Sirius isn't, well, _serious_ about anyone."

"He was about Meren."

"Meren? Who is Meren?" Annabel gasped. "Noelle would be so destroyed!"

"His pet fish."

Annabel laughed and shoved him playfully. "Shut up, you. I mean, he's not serious about any girl!"

"There isn't any girl that Sirius has been seriously Sirius about," Remus joked.

"Yeah..." Annabel shrugged. "Noelle's not really a 'bad girl'."

Remus snorted.

Annabel swung around to face him, eyes narrowing. "And what exactly does that mean?"

"What?" Remus asked.

"That snort!"

"Snort?"

"Yes, that-" Annabel tried to imitate him, but failed miserably. "Whatever! That noise of yours! What does that mean?"

"Nothing!" Remus said, trying to regain his credentiality. "I just meant that you aren't exactly the queen of bad girls. Even I know more about bad boys and bad girls than you do. You're...Annabel Foster!"

"I toy with people!" Normally, Annabel would be angered if someone called her a bad girl, but now that someone was telling her that she was _not_ a bad girl, she was annoyed. Completely. "I kiss and tell. I date and ditch. I'm a flirtatious slag!"

"No you're not," Remus said calmly. "You're Annabel Foster. You feel bad when someone's sad. You're the queen of smiles. Clara is the 'bad girl'."

"And what do you know about bad boys?" Annabel cried out. Luckily, they were far away enough so that their voices were muffled behind layers and layers of books. "You're not a bad boy! You're as far away as possible as a bad boy!"

"I dorm with Sirius," Remus said as if it was obvious. "And I can be bad. I just don't want to."

"Of course you don't want to, because you can't!" jeered Annabel. "Be a bad boy."

"Be a bad girl," returned Remus.

Annabel glared at him, eyes slitted. "I so can!"

"Then do so."

"Tommorrow then, because it's Saturday and we can wear whatever we like. You dress up as a bad boy and I'll dress up as a bad girl. You meet me at the great hall at precisely nine o' clock. That's when most of the people start to get up and eat, drink, whatever, use the loo. And we'll see who looks better." Annabel lifted her chin proudly. "Agreed?"

"I'm up to it," retorted Remus. "As long as you're not scared."

Annabel glared at him. "I'm not scared!" she said. "I am most definitely not scared! Look at me! Do I look scared to you?"

Remus bit back a grin. "Yes."

Annabel stared wordlessly at him, her mouth gaping like a fish, and eyes flashing bright blue. "You have a lot of bite for such a tame dog!" she cried out. "I am not scared. I bet five galleons that I'll make a better 'bad girl' than you would."

"Of course you would," Remus said. "I'm not dressing up as a bad girl. But I bet two galleons that I'll make a better 'bad person' than you would."

"Fine. I match that bet."

"Shake on it?"

Annabel, keeping eye contact with him, shook his hand.

"Good." Remus opened his book.

Annabel glared at him, gathered up her books and piled them all neatly into her rucksack. "So I'll see you at nine then!" She flouced away, leaving a disapproving air behind her.

Remus found that he couldn't concentrate now. He was too energized. So, with a weary sigh, he gathered up his things and put them neatly into his rucksack as well. A seam split and it crumbled into a million little threads.

_Great. Just great_, he thought gloomily.

Piling up his stuff, he balanced it as he walked through the hallways. When he neared the common room, he saw James, looking very depressed.

"Hey Prongs," he said. "Mate, what's wrong?"

James' hazel eyes glinted miserably.

"Hey Moony," he said. "Need some help? That looks like a large pile of stuff to carry up the stairs."

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><p><strong>Anyway, so the next chapter is one of my favorites so far. And who of you are sooo excited for Pottermore? I know I am! To be sorted in a house...sigh. <strong>

**Which house do you think you would be sorted in? Tell me in a Review, what house and Why?**


	11. Bad Sixth Years and Love Spells

**Hello! And this is chapter 10 of Before Dawn, and one of my FAVORITE chapters that I've written so far...you'll see, I guess. I'm so happy that I've already gotten 60 reviews! YAY! Anyway, I'm still suffering from Post-Potter but Pottermore might fix that...CHEERS! Thanks to my beta again!**

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><p>Chapter Ten: Bad Sixth Years and Love Charms<p>

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><p>Review Replies: <strong>ForeverTeamEdward13: <strong>You know, you're one of my first reviewers every time. Seriously (or Siriusly) So thank you, soooo incredibly much. **Mabel:** Hope that this qualifies as "really really soon" If you want faster review replies, you can always ask me on my tumblr, which is on my profile!** Georgethecunt**: or olivia, really. :D No idea, actually, but isn't Prior supposed to be "previous?" Oh well. Awh yeah. After this chapter, there's going to be a hell lotta Remus/Annabel. **Beba78:** Ah. So you're a Gryffindor, eh? WOOHOO. Yeah, I think I'd either be in Gryff or Hufflepuff. O.o. I'm glad that you like that part of falling down the stairs!** Clevernugget:** Awh, you were laughing? THANKS! Yeah, I started putting the quotes about five chapters back...don't know. **Blue is the Sea:** Join the club, my fellow Puffle. :D We're good finders. (AVPM) I'm sooo glad that you're a NEW PERSON! WOO HOO! There are a few good ones, my favorite being either "Falling" or "The True Confessions of Elizabeth Reynolds" which is a sad, yet FANTASTIC fic!** xXxFredWeasleyForeverxXx** I hope you like this chapter then, if you liked the last one. XD Sirius is a TOTAL man-whore, but adorable anyway...I'm a total Marauder freak. **sissam93**: OOH, are you new too? YAY(?)! Yeah, their bet is going to be weird...

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

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><p>Quote: As I lay on the grass and looked up at the night sky, I thought to myself "where the heck is the ceiling?" ~Unknown<p>

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><p>Annabel gave a low groan of dismay. What had she gotten herself into?<p>

"No fear," she told herself. "There's nothing to do with it."

"What're you mumbling about?" Alice asked from where she was writing in her Frank diary.

"Shuddup Alice. I may have gotten myself into hell."

"Congrats. Say hi to Satan for me."

_Yep, my friends are real supportive_, Annabel thought.

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><p>Dear Diary,<p>

Well, Annabel's off in the corner muttering stuff like, "purgatory" and "hell" and "I hate you Remmy" and "Lily ought to help me." Right now she just rolled over to face Noelle and asked if she could borrow Noelle's 'sexy' black shirt for tomorrow.

I wonder what she's planning.

I just got asked out by Daniel Stone. He's a nice enough guy, and a good looking bloke even, so I said yes. Do you think that it would scare off Frank? At least Daniel knows that if it doesn't work out on the first date, we won't be a _real_ couple...aargh, what am I talking about? I just have a silly crush on Frank.

Oh. Here comes Lily. I need to hide you.

_**Hello Alice's Frank Diary. It's very nice to meet you. I'm Lily. And Alice is in lovvveee with Frankie dear, which means that she is probably not going to be boyfriend/girlfriend with Daniel Stone. He's cute, Alice. Even hot. WHAT?**_

Heh. That scared her off fast. Note to self: when you're annoyed with Lily, mention something about her being in love with James. Not that it's true, but she gets so angry at the very mention of him that it almost _seems _like it sometimes.

Well, that's it for today. Bye.

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><p><strong>Noelle's List of Things to Do Tomorrow: <strong>

**-Find Sirius and get my shirt back: funny story really, I caught him making out with a girl in the Quidditch locker room. Girls Quidditch locker room. Near my locker. When I already took off my shirt and was in my bra. And then he grinned at me and took my shirt and said, thanks Noelle, before flying off, and I had to wear my spare shirt which smells like spaghetti. **

**-Hex Sirius**

**-Apologize to James for forging that letter from Lily saying that she loved him. It's too bad that he's good at charms or else he would have totally fallen for it. **

**-Find out why Annabel asked to borrow my sexy shirt and my mini skirt and those fishnets that I got from France. **

**-Kill Clara for spreading that rumor that Sirius and I got to second base. I mean, _really_?**

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><p>The next morning dawned a clear blue with a sweltering heat.<p>

Good for Annabel, anyway.

At seven o' clock, she was up and gathering all the 'bad girl' clothes she could find. A boot was thrown at her head from Alice's bed, but missed and hit the dresser. Then the box on top of the dresser fell off and hit Annabel on the head.

"HA!" Alice said, before turning over and falling asleep again.

"I swear, one day I'm going to take Alice's Frank diary to Frank and show him everything," Annabel muttered, rubbing the sore spot on her head. There was no evident bruise in the mirror when she checked, but it _hurt_. A lot.

She went into the bathroom and took out her large, bulging back of makeup and cosmetics, along with Noelle's.

"Alright, shirt." Standing there in only her black bra and boy-shorts, she held up the two shirts that she thought looked okay. "I think I'm going to go slag and see how that works." Stepping into the shower quickly, she combed out her long hair. "Ugh, light brown. So not bad girl." Waving her wand and chanting a quick incantation, her hair shimmered and darker brown streaks started appearing.

The shirt she chose was lace and _almost_ see through, but not quite, and had a very low neckline and a falling down strap. And it itched like the devil. "I pity slags," Annabel said to herself before donning a dark dark red leather skirt that hardly covered her boy shorts and was actually a little embarrassing. Fishnet tights went over that, and stilettos.

Now for the makeup.

Annabel hardly considered herself an expert at makeup and hair. Sure she knew how to apply a little lipstick and some blush, maybe some concealer, but for heavy makeup that a slag required, she was completely brain-dead. As for her hair, Lily could do it for her.

Walking out of the bathroom, she walked straight into the group of her friends that were just barely awake.

Seeing her, Lily physically fell over. "What," she said through the strands of her dark red hair that fell across her face, "are you _wearing_?"

"Slag clothes," said Annabel.

"_Why_?" Alice asked, her eyes nearly popping out.

Annabel shrugged. "A dare."

"What dare?" Noelle asked.

"With Remus."

"_Remus_?" Lily gaped. "What dare?"

"Well, he has to dress up as a bad boy if I dress up as a bad girl. So I'm going for the 'I'm a slaggy bad girl' look."

"Yep, you nailed it," Noelle said. "But you don't have any makeup, and slaggy girls don't have hair like that."

"Of course they don't. I was going to ask you to do my makeup, Noelle."

Noelle's eyes lit up. "Sure!"

As they went into the bathroom, Alice and Lily followed. "Are you going to wave her hair all sexy?" Alice asked, looking intrigued. "I've never been friends with a slag before?"

"Mm-hm, and you're not going to be one. You're friends with a _pretend_ slag slash bad girl." Annabel closed her eyes and felt Noelle douse her face liberally with makeup. "Ew. Feels like I'm wearing peanut butter."

"It's just foundation!" Noelle said. "Nothing big."

"It is to me," Annabel said. Something liquid was coated onto her eyes, solidifying and mascara was applied, with eyeliner. Lipstick and blush, while Lily and Alice tugged and braided her hair, and someone else started painting her nails and slipping on necklaces and bracelets.

"Okay, open your eyes."

It was a little hard to open Annabel's eyes. It felt like the liquid stuff was weighing it down, but she managed. What she saw in the mirror was a girl, with dramatic highlights in her hair and shadows on her face, with dark red lipstick and glittery black eyeshadow, heavy mascara and eyes that were well, _sexy_. Her hair was waved around her face in a perfect slag hairstyle, and the heavy jewelry was a plus. All in all, Annabel hardly recognized herself.

Checking her watch-which someone had transfigured into a tinier, thinner watch-she realized that it was already eight fifty-eight. "I have to meet Remus at nine at the Great Hall!" she gasped.

Lily waved her wand and suddenly, she, Alice and Noelle were dressed. "And we're going with you. And being late is slaggy anyway."

"Ugh. Remind me never to use slag again for the rest of my life."

"Attitude, Annabel."

Annabel tried again. "Hon, I totally don't want to use the word slag again, because it's so, like, _weird_, you know?" She gave a honey-sweet laugh.

"Good." Lily smiled. "Remus is going to freak."

"I know right? And he said I couldn't be a bad-girl! Ah, I mean, I know that Lily dear. He said that I'm not a bad girl, but I so totally am." Annabel gave a bedroom grin.

"I feel embarrassed to be around you," Alice announced frankly. "You're so slaggy and I'm all normal."

By that time, they were at the Great Hall, and could hear the Marauders talking around the corner as the boys walked to the Great Hall. Annabel quickly leaned against the wall, Lily, Noelle and Alice all around her, and slowly reapplied her red lipstick.

"Blimey, is that Annabel?"

Annabel slowly finished up her lipstick and slowly swiveled around. There was James, Sirius and Peter, all staring at her in her new clothes, and there was Remus. Annabel really had to fight to keep her eyes from widening.

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><p>Remus was having a great time as well.<p>

Starting from the beginning.

"Moody, what're you up so early?"

"Padfoot, I need to borrow your leather jacket."

A pillow was chucked at Remus. "Why?"

Remus sighed. "I-I made a promise to Annabel, okay?"

James hooted sleepily. "A _promise_ huh? Going to give her a nice thorough snogging?"

"No, James, Annabel and I are just friends."

"A nice thorough _shagging_ then-" Sirius was cut off as Remus threw the pillow at his face.

"No shagging, no snogging," Remus said, running a hand through his hair. "I have to be a bad boy and she has to be a bad girl."

"Bloody hell," James said. "You serious?"

They all winced as Sirius perked up. "Of course he's not, _I'm_- AARRRGHHH!" The last bit was added when Peter threw a lamp at Sirius, missing, but still scaring Sirius.

"That's not how the joke works," Remus observed.

Sirius tumbled out of bed, and so did James. "Mate, we'll help you," Sirius said, tossing him a black biker's jacket. "Teach you all that we know about being bad boys."

"You don't know anything," Peter said.

Remus snorted with laughter.

"Shuddup, Wormtail," Sirius said affably. "Okay, you gotta have real attitude, Moony. You've got to be Moody." Sirius cackled at his own joke.

"And you got to flirt with all the girls," James said.

"Have a real hot look," James said.

"Give them a smolder." Sirius winked.

Remus pulled on the clothes. They stared at him. "Do I look okay?"

Sirius winced. "To be honest, you look like a good boy _trying_ to look like a bad boy, but failing. Miserably."

James descended with a comb and started to mess up Remus' hair. "Think of the hottest girl in school."

Remus tried, joking, "I'm thinking of Lily Evans."

Which he wasn't, really. He was thinking of Clara. She was an absolute twit, but hot.

James gave an animal roar.

Sirius whacked James in the head. "Calm down Prongs, he was joking."

"Oh." James turned red. "Oh. Okay."

Remus thought about when in fifth year Annabel and Lily dressed up in those medieval gowns and suddenly, he had that look on his face.

"Perfect!" Sirius clapped Remus on the back. "You'll have all the girls falling over for you in no time!"

"Thanks. I guess." Remus scratched his head. "Was that a compliment? Anyway, I have to meet her at nine."

"Fine. And you'd better run. It's already nine," Peter piped up.

Remus looked at his watch and swore filthily. Sirius and James fell over themselves laughing following Remus as he raced out of the dorm and down the stairs. Peter tried to follow, but tripped over the sheets and squealed a bit until Sirius raced back into the dorm and lugged Peter down the stairs to follow.

"Ouch! Bollocks!"

They were nearing the Great Hall with Sirius lecturing Remus on how to be a bad boy, and then Sirius stopped and goggled. "Blimey, is that _Annabel_?"

Remus whirled around.

The girl in front of them calmly finished applying her lipstick and tossed it to Noelle, who was giggling like mad, nearly dropping it. Remus' jaw would've dropped to the floor if he hadn't clamped it shut.

The girl was wearing one of the shortest, leathery skirts Remus had ever seen, showcasing her legs. Long, lean legs, pale, but the kind that were okay when pale. Encased in lacey fights-(fishnet, Sirius muttered to him) and a slaggy shirt with loads of makeup. A very low neckline. _Very low_.

Remus swallowed hard.

"Well well," he said, completely hoping that she did _not_ notice that his voice cracked. "If it isn't Annabel."

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><p>Remus was the definition of 'bad boy'. His usually neat hair was messed up around his face as if he just got out of bed, and he was wearing a leather jacket that looked like it might've belonged to Sirius. And he slouched. Completely.<p>

"Well well," he said. "It's Annabel, isn't it." He gave a half smile that made Annabel blush under all her makeup.

"Hardly recognized you, Remus," she said, taking a gliding step forward and flipping her hair. "You look...different."

"I could say the same about you."

"Touche, Remmy."

They stood there for a few seconds before Remus offered his arm. "Go into the Great Hall?"

Annabel licked her lips slightly. "Of course."

When they walked into the Great Hall, there was silence from the ends closest to them, then a rushing whisper that built through the hall. McGonagall stood up, her face contorted in outrage and amusement, but Dumbledore put a hand on her arm, blue eyes twinkling merrily. He seemed to know exactly what they were doing.

"Look at those two!"

"Is that Annabel?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, but who's that gorgeous boy next to her?"

"That's Remus!"

"I like Annabel better."

"That's because you're a boy, you pervert!"

"They're the perfect slag couple."

It took all of Annabel's will not to crack up laughing or turn bright red with mortification. Instead, she giggled merrily as Remus pretended to whisper something into her ear (all he whispered was 'eggs and bacon, cheese and rice' but it was obviously meant to look like they were sharing a secret) and flip her hair. A few dozen times.

"Oh tee-hee-hee," she said again, flashing the widest, most fake smile that she ever had. "You're so _funny_ Remus!" Annabel crossed her leg, making the skirt ride up a little bit. Normally, she would've turn red, but now, she was a slag. Slags were fun to be.

"I guess," Remus said, ruffling his hair in a very James-like manner.

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><p>Noelle was having a great time.<p>

Seeing her friend dress up as a slag and seeing _Remus_ dressed up as a slag was very entertaining. Could boys dress up as slags? She didn't have time to ponder that question.

Pair in the fact that she was seated next to Sirius...and it was the best day ever.

Meanwhile, Lily and James were probably having the first civil conversation that they'd ever had.

"But if the charm doesn't work-"

"It does, it always does!"

"But it's an unusual charm and the slightest change or mispronounced syllable possibly could make it blow up."

"Hey, well, we've gotta do it for his birthday. Sirius and I already planned out a bunch of ideas, blah blah blech." Lily gave a laugh and James looked delighted. "But the party-"

"Shh! He'll hear you!"

"He won't. He's busy being distracted by Annabel."

"Well, keep your voice down anyway." Lily looked at Remus, who was busy staring moodily down at the food on his plate, while Annabel ate, giving every spoonful a little flourish before putting it in her mouth, murmuring stuff under her breath. Jake Sinhalese, seventh year, was staring at her with wide gray eyes, or more specifically, the pendant on her neck. "His favorite color is blue or red."

"Correct." James ate a forkful of bacon. "Mmm. The house-elves have really outdone themselves this time."

"Aah, shut up James." Lily rolled her eyes. "I'll ask the house-elves to help us bake a cake."

"Wait, so you're actually going to bake a cake?" James looked at her in disbelief. "Why not just wave your wand and mutter a charm and be done with it?"

"I should think that _he_ would like a homemade cake better than a magic one!" Lily's voice was shrill and Remus raised his head and stared at them. "You absolute imbecile, I will not go out with you!" Lily added, and Remus lowered his head to return having a staring contest with his food. Later, people would wonder why Lily refused to go out with James before James even asked her, but that wasn't so strange.

"Quick thinking," James congratulated her.

"Thanks." Lily gave him a very small smile. "I'll ask Alice for some more ideas, but she might not have any. Anyway-"

"JAMES." The loud voice echoed through the hall, quieting the first years (who had no idea what was going on) but everyone else just continued eating like it was normal. It _was_ normal. Taylor Johanson strode down the hall confidently, chest puffed out and his red hair sticking out in wild hanks. "THE FIRST QUIDDITCH MATCH IS IN A WEEK. TRAINING IS AT EIGHT O' CLOCK IN THE MORNING ON SUNDAY."

"Oh come on Taylor," James protested. "Have a heart!"

Taylor grinned broadly and continued on.

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><p>They (as in Annabel and Remus) decided that both of them were equally good, and ended up not paying each other at all. Pity, really, Annabel thought, because she was <em>really<em> looking forward to those ten galleons.

Sunday dawned with the buzz of homework. Annabel was already done (Thank you very much, Lily!) and therefore got up early. Washing her face and then dabbing on a bit of mascara and lipstick, she tied her hair up in a simple ponytail and put on her sweats, coming down to breakfast feeling _good_ about herself.

Remus nearly spat out his water. "Wow," he sputtered out.

"What?" Annabel asked, tugging at the edge of her gray sweatshirt.

"Nothing, Remus said, giving the smallest smile ever. "It's just that yesterday you were all dressed up like a slag and today, barely any makeup, wearing old clothes."

Annabel shrugged. "Too much makeup yesterday. Put me off a bit. I don't think I'll be wearing makeup for a while."

"Understandable," Remus mused. "After all, if I had to wear makeup-" He was cut off by a very unelegant noise coming from Annabel. "What?"

"_You_? In _makeup_?" Annabel snorted with laughter. "Lovely lovely Remus, I don't think that would _ever_ happen."

"Oh shut up," Remus said crossly, the top of his ears turning pinkish. "Remember the last Hogwarts dance? I think I might've thrown up a bit in my throat."

Now the rest of his face was flaming.

Annabel stared at him. "That was completely random," she said thoughtfully. "Very random. Possibly the most random thing I've ever heard you say."

"I was just thinking," Remus said, "about that awful dance a few years ago that had even Dumbledore cringing."

"It was terrible," Annabel said. "We were in, what, fourth year at that time?"

"Mm...yeah, I think so," said Remus. "Didn't half of the girls run out crying?"

Annabel nodded. "Lily was one of them."

"Lily? Why?"

"Because James hexed her date."

Remus snorted into his drink.

"How did you not know?" Annabel asked in amazement. "You guys are best friends!"

"I was visiting an aunt. She's sick."

Annabel squinted at him. "The same aunt that was sick last year?"

Remus gulped. _How did she remember? _he thought. He must've been careless around her, spewing out the same excuses again and again. "Yeah," he said. "She's uh, sick a lot."

"She's been sick at least four times," Annabel said. "I distinctly remember you telling me that she was sick at least two times last year, and a few more times the years before that. Maybe it wasn't you..might be James, really, or Sirius."  
>"I have, um, three aunts."<p>

Annabel stared at him. "And they all get sick."

"And my grandmum."

"And _you_ have to take care of them?" Annabel raised her eyebrows. "What about your mum and dad?"

"Well, um, the sickness is highly contagious."

Annabel stared at him some more. "And so they let _you_ take care of your sick aunts and grandmum. Well. Why don't they just send you off to work at the hospital."

Remus panicked. "I'm immune to the sickness."

"Oh?" Annabel stared at him even more. In fact, it was starting to creep Remus out. She opened her mouth, presumably to grill him more about information. And then Remus was saved by someone so unlikely.

Noelle sat down at the table. "Annabel, shoot me."

That got Annabel's attention. "Why?'

"Because I want to die."

"Uh-huh. Why?"

Noelle groaned.

Remus turned around and saw Prongs, Padfoot and Wormtail bustle into the hallway with a smile on their faces—no wait, _plastered_ to their faces. What was going on? And they were staring at him. No, to be correct, James was looking worried, Peter was practically squeaking—well, Remus couldn't hear him, but he knew Peter well enough to know that Peter was squeaking in fright. It was only Sirius who had a broad smile on his face.

Then James poked Sirius and said something urgently.

Sirius shook James off—a rare sight—and raised his wand. Remus half-rose from his table as a jet of blue light raced towards him.

And then everything went terribly wrong.

Firstly, damned Snape.

Snape saw the Marauders and raised his own wand, sending a jet of red light at James, who deflected it with a lazy flick of his own wand. And then the stray jet of purple light collided into Sirius' blue spell, which turned an ugly shade of orange and continued racing along, leaving a trail of smoke behind it that made students cough.

And then things went even _more_ horribly wrong.

Alice, who ran out of marmalade and was going to get some more from Mickey, who was at the Hufflepuff Table, stood up to walk over, not even noticing the orange jet at all. And then she crossed Remus' path.

Where the orange jet was heading.

Time seemed to slow down as Alice noticed the approaching projectile, and turned her head.

And _screamed_.

The orange jet of light collided with her with a spurt of light, and Alice flew backwards, into the table, eyes rolling up in her head and her head lolling around on her neck. Frank leapt up from the Gryffindor table, and Annabel screamed as well. Noelle jumped up with a horrified cry and Remus _growled_ in anger.

Sirius, openmouthed, raced over.

Noelle was at Alice's side in a flash, fingers probing Alice's neck for a pulse while someone else lifted Alice—it was a boy from Ravenclaw that Alice was friends with—and they both raced off with Noelle crying, "I can find a pulse! I've found it!" to relieved sighs.

And then Remus saw red.

He stalked towards Sirius, but before he could say anything, Frank beat him to it. Face contorted with rage, he punched Sirius in his perfect nose. Sirius gave a demonic cry and fell like a stone, while James sighed and said, "I told you, mate, nothing good was going to come out of this."

Remus snarled, "What was that?"

And James, who didn't even blink when he saw Frank coming over, blanched. Visibly.

Sirius muttered, _"Episkey,_" to his broken nose, which stopped bleeding. Wiping away the blood with the end of his sleeve, he said, "It was meant for you."

"I BLOODY WELL KNEW THAT IT WAS MEANT FOR ME."

Sirius blanched as well. And Peter turned the palest shade of white and started shaking with fright.

"It-it was a love charm," James babbled. "Sirius wanted to know what would happen if Annabel and you were put under a love charm."

There was a gasp, and then Annabel stormed from behind Remus and slapped Sirius, leaving a rapidly darkening mark. Sirius went down again, wincing in pain. "Ex_cuse_ me?" she snapped, and then kicked James in the shin before storming off.

"And why," asked Remus, his voice deadly, "did you do it?"

There were some mutters from James and Peter, and then Sirius spoke up from the floor, his formerly white face shining with defiance. "Because we thought it was a bloody fine prank."

Remus cursed. "Your pranks aren't funny unless we _all_ agree to it," Remus said. "YOU, Sirius, have the tendency to go overboard when you are alone in your pranks." His voice got even deadlier. "Don't you bloody remember what happened before when you tried to pull a prank involving me?"

Sirius did remember, because he flushed the brightest red before turning white again. "You can't surely not be over that?"

"YOU ENDANGERED SOMEONE'S LIFE BECAUSE OF ME!" Remus shouted, before remembering that they were, indeed, in the Great Hall, and people were looking on curiously. So he shut up and stalked away.

Sirius rubbed the mark on his face and winced, looking up at James. "Why didn't you stop me?" he asked weakly.

James shrugged. "We tried, mate."

Sirius swore.

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><p><strong>Ah, Sirius, you fail. At life. :D<strong>

**Review?**


	12. A Date With James

**Helllooo! Well, I cut my hair super-short. Now's it's just below my ears. O.o I don't know whether I should like it or scream and get a wig. I'm glad that people liked chapter ten! Thanks to my absolutely fabulous beta PhoenixFanatic999 Thanks for all the reviews. 70 already? GASP!**

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><p>Chapter Eleven: A Date With James<p>

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><p>Review Replies:<strong> Clevernugget:<strong> Sirius is a failure at life. :D Nah, just joking. Sent you a PM already. :D **georgethecunt** Don't worry. People complained about how long it took for James and Addison to kiss in SSY and so, therefore, I'm going to speed things up just a smidge in here. Attacking? This chapter. **ForeverTeamEdward: ** Awwwwww. Love your reviews! It took me a while to finish this chapter...O.O **RenaMystique:** Thanks! I hope that you have many more favorite chapters later on in the story!**xXxFredWeasleyForeverxXx** LOL yeah, this chapter was sooo easy to write, but sooo hard to finish. Strange, right? Here's your more!** AikoRose**: I have only one thing to say to you...you'll see. Nah, just joking. But you WILL see. Thanks for the review!** Mabel:** Thank YOU! It's nice to know that I have an anonymous reviewer! **FleurSuoh:** Ooh, you're a Ravenclaw? My sister's a Ravenclaw because ravenclaws are apparently the "only awesome people ever." LOL. I can't be a ravenclaw. :D

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

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><p>Quote: Weave me the sunshine out of the falling rain. ~Uh, i forgot the song so could someone be supah special and look it up for me?<p>

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><p>Annabel was sick of it.<p>

Completely sick of it.

You might ask what she _was_ sick of.

_ Blake and Lily. _

_ Blily. _

"Oh shh, you!" Lily said, laughing, her green eyes sparkling merrily as she and Blake talked to each other. Annabel watched them, realizing that she was probably turning just a bit green with envy that Blake was having all of Lily's attention. Not that green, though, just a pale...shade...

Oh who was she kidding?

She was incredibly _jealous_.

Annabel leaned over Alice, looking over her friend. Alice was sleeping, her eyelids white with those tiny blue veins trembling through them. Noelle was on her other side, reading a book that had a small candle flame on the front cover, long hair sweeping the pages of the book.

Annabel stood there for a second, just staring at Noelle. It was funny, she never really realized how pretty Noelle was, because Noelle's school uniform was probably the most unflattering ever, and when she _did_ see Noelle in normal clothes, she was, well, _used_ to it.

Noelle's eyes darted up. "What?"

Annabel shook her head. "Sorry. I was in a whole new universe." Yawning, she stretched. "I need to go eat. Anyone joining me?"

Noelle shook her head, and Lily looked up at Annabel and smiled. "Nah. I'm happy here."

_ Yeah, with Blake_.

Annabel walked out of the Hospital Wing, rubbing her head and trying to work through the knots in her hair. "Yeah, because everything is so incredibly sucky like that, but bah! I'm hungry but no one else is hungry...I always knew that Noelle and Alice were best friends, but I don't want to go...ah, I'm being petty again." She walked straight into someone and mumbled her apologies, turning around to go the other way.

A strong arm prevented her.

"What?" she snapped, and then saw it was Remus with Sirius. "Oh. Hi Remus. Hi arse."

Remus turned to Sirius. "Do you like being called an arse?"

"Only if it's a hot arse."

Annabel scowled at him. "What the _bloody crapping hell _were you thinking?"

Remus smiled.

"And what are _you_ smiling at?" Annabel snapped, turning to Remus.

"Everything," Remus said. "Bloody crapping hell. Imaginative. Mind if I use that someday?"

"No," Annabel said, begrudgingly giving a very small smile. "But what is _that_ doing here?" She pointed at Sirius.

"I have a name!"

"Shut up, Black!"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm sorry. But it would've worked if Alice hadn't gotten into the way."

Annabel's mouth dropped open. "IN THE WAY? IN THE BLOODY WAY? IF YOU HADN'T SHOT IT EVEN, YOU..." She threw the thing in her arms at him-quills, which didn't work so well. When Sirius just merely brushed them beside, she slapped Sirius again, who went down like a stone. When he just struggled again up, Annabel yanked a thick, heavy book from Remus' rucksack (although he tried to snatch it back) and dropped it square on Sirius' body, and he howled and went down again. "NEVER. INTERFERE. AGAIN."

Sirius coughed.

Annabel walked away.

* * *

><p>The minute she sat down at a table, a boy sidled next to her. For a brief second, she thought it was Remus or Blake and twisted around to glare at him, and the glare turned into embarrassment as she realized that it wasn't Remus or Blake.<p>

It was a Ravenclaw guy.

She could tell by his blue-striped tie, and the intense look in his eyes, but he seemed a bit nervous too, as if he wanted to say something. "Hi," he breathed. "I'm, um, David Thomas."

"Hi," Annabel said. She had the vague feeling that she knew that guy. Something associated with some particularly tricky spell and a pair of hot-pink knickers. Oh yeah. "David Thomas," she breathed. "I know you! You produced the Riddikulus charm and caused the boggart, which was shaped like a banshee to appear in hot pink knickers!"

David Thomas turned bright bright red.

Annabel realized how crass that sounded and turned a matching shade of red. "I mean, not that it's not _bad_ or anything, I thought that it was actually sort of brilliant in an odd way, if you know what...I mean?"

David Thomas was still bright red and sputtered out, "Anyway, my mates and I wanted to know if you know, wanted to sit with us for just today, because we thought that you might be a little lonely, here, not that you're a loner or anything...but?"

Annabel, still embarrassed, shrugged and said, "That'd be...lovely, thank you so much Thomas."

"David," David said. "I'd prefer you call me David."

Annabel gave him an appraising look and said, "David, then."

David led her over to a group at the Ravenclaw table and said, "Everyone, this is Annabel Foster. She'll be sitting with us for today. Annabel, this is the rest of the people."

"Thanks David, we're really feeling the love," said one girl. Her eyes were the strangest shade of purple Annabel had seen, and were completely at odds with her very dark brown hair. She saw Annabel staring at said, "Spell went wrong. I could've changed it back, but I like the color purple."

"Yeah," Annabel said. "I wouldn't change my eyes either."

There were two other girls in the group, and four boys excluding David. One of the girls was steadily ignoring all of them, brown eyes intent on her book and her long, almost black hair falling around her shoulders in pretty curls. "That's Marie," David said, pointing at the purple-eyed girl, "and that's Tisha." He pointed at the reading girl. "And that's Fauna."

Annabel squinted at Fauna and then her eyes widened. "You're Charlotte's twin, right?"

Fauna looked up, her blue eyes widening in shock. "Oh wait, you're Annabel, friends with Noelle, right?"

"Yeah," Annabel said. "We're dorm mates."

Fauna stared at Annabel for a long moment, long enough that Annabel squirmed in embarrassment. "I don't like you," she said.

Annabel stared back at her. "You friends with Clara?"

"No," said Fauna.

"And you've just met me?"

"Yep."

"And you hate me."

"Yeah."

Annabel raised her eyebrows. "Alright."

Tisha punched Fauna's arm lightly. "Faun! Isn't that a bit presumptuous of you?"

Fauna gave Tisha a blank look. "I'll tell you later."

Annabel sat down next to David and some guy who she knew to be Tom, slightly uneasy. After all, she had people who hated her, but never so...

_Quickly_.

"Mate, she's not so gorgeous," muttered a guy to David, quietly. Still, Annabel could hear him. "Why'd you make her come over here?"

Oh great.

Juuusssttt great.

And so, therefore...

_Lunch was very awkward_.

* * *

><p>"It's not like I'm incredibly jealous," Annabel said, yanking at her hair agitatedly. "I'm just a bit jealous. Yeah, just a bit jealous. And blababerry, aargh! Buggering bloody Mary with a sprinkling of honey and some sugar-"<p>

"Annabel, what the _hell_ are you doing?"

Annabel whirled around and saw that Remus was staring at her with an expression of complete shock on his face. A little amusement, yeah, but mostly shock and a bit of mortification on his part that he had to see such a weird thing.

"Nothing!" Annabel said, feeling herself turn red. "Like, nothing, um...a bee! Yes, there was a big, _big_ bee and I thought that it was...Bugging me! Yes! Bugging me, so I told it to, er, stop buggering me and-"

"Then why were you jealous?"

"Jealous?" Annabel forced out a laugh. "Because the bug...had pretty wings! So I was very—jealous—of the bug and its...pretty wings. Right. Um. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I had to take Sirius to the Hospital Wing after you assaulted him," Remus said, dropping into one of the common room chairs. "He was groaning in agony, yes."

James slammed into the common room, muttering something under his breath and looking just like Annabel with a dark ferocious scowl on his face. He blew past Annabel without a single glance and headed straight to the chair next to Remus.

"You alright, Prongs?" Remus asked.

"No."

"That's straightforward," Remus said, sighing and rubbing his forehead with a hand.

Annabel bit her nail. "James, what's wrong?"

"Bugger off, Annabel."

Annabel felt a twinge of annoyance. "That's nice, James. I'll see you later, Remus." She stormed up the girl's staircase and slammed the dorm behind her. There was no one in the empty dorm, so she blew into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror.

_"Mate, she's not so gorgeous."_

_ "Then why were you jealous?"_

_ "Bugger off, Annabel."_

"Just shrug it off," she told her reflection. "Nothing to worry about. They're just...impatient, and mad, and you're just a jealous chit with messy hair and no makeup and old clothes." Slowly, she picked up the brush and started detangling the hair. "David's nice though. Sweet...and kind...and kind of cute. And what rubbish that Sirius likes to create. A romance spell! Ha! Like that would ever work in the whole world." Swinging back the hair, she divided it into three sections and started plaiting it into one plait. "Anyway, I still have that date with Calvin next week for Hogsmeade, and Fauna still hates me." She tilted her head. "Should I ask Noelle?"

"Ask me what?" Noelle asked, slamming into the room, making the door hit the wall with a thud.

"Nothing," Annabel said quickly. "It's just that...do you think I'm pretty?"

"Uh-huh."

"You do?"

"Yep."

"Thanks."

"Yep."

"Are you just saying yep because you don't want to say anything else?" Annabel asked resignedly.

"Yep-I mean, you _are_ pretty, why do you need me to confirm that?" Noelle asked.

"Well, you know," Annabel said. "It's easy for you to say, you're drop dead gorgeous and have a snog every time you feel like it—which, thankfully, isn't much—and Lily...well, Lily's _Lily_. And Alice is only interested in Frank, and has her own type of prettiness...where do I fit in? Slag category? Lily _did_ call me a slag once, remember?"

"Yes, I remember." Noelle stared at Annabel for a minute. "I'd put you in the Ordinary Pretty Girl gone hot."

"That makes absolutely no sense." Annabel glared at the mirror for a second, and then said, "Aguamenti." The spell shot a stream of water at her mouth and she swallowed it down.

"What a waste of magic," commented Noelle. "And it does make sense. Truth or sugarcoating?"

"Truth, please," Annabel said.

"You're not downright sexy, to be blunt. You're pretty, with a lot of potential, but you don't have that 'damn, that girl is hot' appeal." Noelle offered a weak smile. "I'm sorry. You just look a bit too innocent and sweet. I know that people like you, and some people want to snog you, but nobody wants a one-night stand with you or anything."

"Right, thanks." Annabel flopped onto her bed.

"I mean, Alice doesn't have it either, and I'm not going to say that I have it. Lily does, however."

"Right," said Annabel again, staring at the ceiling.

"Don't take that the wrong way, please," pleaded Noelle.

"No, no, no, I know what you mean. No offense taken. It's just that David invited me to sit with his group of friends at lunch, and one of them went over to him and whispered, 'Why did you invite her? She's not so hot.' and I dunno, I just got annoyed."

"Just ignore it," offered Noelle.

"I know but-"

"He's just being an arse," Noelle said. "You have to learn to ignore these people, Anna! They're going to be everywhere and-"

"Noelle, please shut up."

There was an awkward silence and Noelle looked like she'd been struck in the face. "Alright," she said quietly. "I'm um, going to be in the common room."

Annabel said nothing and drew the drapes around her bed.

* * *

><p>After Annabel left, James stared at the fire and then stormed up into the dorm. Remus followed him with a slightly panicked feeling, and James stomped. Loudly.<p>

"What's wrong now, Prongs?"

"Everything!" James shouted.

It was so loud that Remus nearly took a step back. "And what do you mean by 'everything'?" he asked.

"Lily!"

"Lily? Isn't she your, 'dearest, darling Lily-flower'?" Remus quoted.

"Yes, she is," James said, sitting on the floor. His glasses fell off of his nose and he made no attempt to pick it up. The silence in the air now was so thick that Remus longed to back out of the room, get Sirius, but he knew somehow that if he did, James would be even more angry and moody. Angsty.

Finally, James spoke. "I went to the Hospital to check on Alice." He swallowed dryly. "It wasn't the best check-up. She was looking kinda dead when I went to look at her, and Blake and Lily were sitting together, giggling and chatting, and then Lily kissed him on the cheek and hugged him." He stared at the ground. "What does he have that I don't? Why does she like him more than she likes me? I've loved her since first year."

"Maybe that's the problem," Remus said. "You might need to back off a bit, let her have some of her own space."

"DON'T YOU THINK I'VE TRIED THAT?" James bellowed. "Fourth year. I dated Amelia Bones. Worst three weeks of my life. She was too judgy and I kept imagining what she would look like with red hair and green eyes. Fifth year—I dated Christene. She was gorgeous, and distracted me for a while, but she has _no substance_. It was all air and giggles. She never really talked to me, it was all really just...snogging." James ruffled his hair. "She-she's gone out with a million blokes, and none of them are me. We rarely have a good conversation, and if we do, I botch it up somehow." He grumbled something. "And I've got to meet her in three days."

"What? Why?"

"For...something." James looked away edgily.

"Right," Remus said helplessly. It seemed that no one remembered his birthday was in four days, but it wasn't like it really mattered right now. "Well, night Prongs." He changed into his sleeping boxers and crawled under the covers.

"Yeah, night," said James. He kept turning something over and over in his hands, a rather odd something that was shaped like a gleaming circle.

Remus turned around and shut his eyes.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Alice's Frank Diary,<em>

_ Well, Alice woke up for a few seconds just to tell me to write in her diary about what happened, just in case. I don't like the 'just in case' bit, but I'm doing as she wishes. _

_ I guess I should introduce myself. _

_ I'm Noelle Jonn and the owner of this diary in question is right now lying unconscious (again) in the bed with a dead look on her face. Her name's Alice Prewett, if you want to know, and she likes to call you her 'diary' although the rest of us call it the 'Frank Diary' and threaten to give it to Frank if she makes us mad...yeah, we're cruel people. _

_ Why is Alice unconscious? Mainly because Sirius is most possibly the worst boy in the whole world. He tried to cast a love spell on Annabel and Remus, but instead managed to cross spells with Snivellus and somehow...I don't know, the spell turned orange and hit Alice. Madame Pomfrey says that it's most likely just a knockout thingy mebober and she'll wake up in a few days. She stirs sometimes. _

_ Hm. _

_ Well, I may as well add that Annabel is mad at me. _

_ I have absolutely no idea why. _

_ She's crazy, our Anna. One minute, she and Lily are laughing about each other, joking how gorgeous each other are, and then the next minute looking at herself in the mirror with an absolutely broken expression and asking me if I consider her 'pretty'. I do, of course, but she just snapped at me. _

_ And I don't have a crush on Sirius. _

_ Really. _

_ I don't fancy him. _

_ REALLY. _

_ Merlin, I need to get a life. _

_ ...and a diary. _

_ Love, _

_ Noelle. _

_ P. S. Alice, please wake up. Please._

* * *

><p>The next morning was a normal waking up day and it was all blah-blah-blah. Normal and everything. Noelle went off to check on Alice again and Annabel and Lily sat next to each other and started eating breakfast. But<p>

To Annabel's great relief, Blake wasn't there again. But James was, and he was giving Lily the most _uncommon_ filthy looks that Lily was practically shrinking. "Is he still glaring at me?" she whispered to Annabel.

Annabel checked. "Yep."

"What did I do _this_ time?"

"No idea, lovely Lily."

Lily ate another piece of bacon with a slightly distraught look on her face. Her homework was on the table, neat with her slightly curvy, slightly sloppy script with its round O's and its strange Gs. "It's like he's mad at me. He's never been really mad at me. Well, he did yell at me once, but that was because I was being a total ass to you."

"Righto," said Annabel. She wasn't really paying attention though; instead, her attention was firmly on the delicious tangerine that she was eating. It was sweet and yummy and warmed, slightly sticky...

Lily's hand flew out in the middle of her tirade, accidentally hitting Annabel's tangerine and knocking it to the floor. "Lily!" Annabel exclaimed.

"What?" Lily snapped.

"You killed my tangerine!"

"It was dead from the moment it was harvested," snapped Lily. "Oh look. Here's Peter. PETER!"

Peter jumped, quavered, and walked over to Lily and Annabel. "Y-yes?"

"Why is Potter so mad at me?"

Peter shook slightly. "I don't know."

"ARGH. GO AWAY."

Peter jumped again and scampered away.

Annabel picked up her soiled tangerine. "_Scourgify_," she said. There was a sparkle of light, and then the tangerine rose from her palm. "What the-"

The tangerine exploded.

Lily stopped in the middle of her sentence and turned to see Annabel, looking utterly shocked with a splattering of orange pulp on her face.

And then started to laugh.

And laugh.

Lily practically howled with laughter as Annabel gingerly took a napkin and wiped her face off, and combing the little orange bits out of her hair. "Yes, ha-ha," Annabel said. "Very funny."

There was a thud as someone threw the doors open. Lily turned around, but Annabel was a bit distracted trying to blink the orange juice out of her eyes-which stung-and was debating pouring water on her head to get the stickiness out of her hair. After the last Scourgify, she didn't exactly trust herself to do it on her hair. Who knows—maybe _she _would explode.

Noelle grabbed the back of their school uniforms. "Hurry up!" she said urgently.

"What?" Lily asked, stuffing another bacon piece into her mouth so it sounded like she said, "Whuff?"

"Alice. She's woken up!"

Lily stood up in such a hurry that she promptly twisted her ankle and fell over the bench in a heap of red hair and school uniform. Annabel stood up to get a better look and started laughing hard until Lily, with a scowl, took Annabel's waving hand and dragged her down with her.

Noelle sighed impatiently. "Are you two going to fool around some more or can we _go_?"

"We're not fooling around," Annabel said, trying to preserve what was left of her dignity by standing up and brushing off her skirts. "Prefect Lily here is going to guide us to the Hospital Wing with grace and dignity."

"I can't," Lily wheezed out, laughing and crying at the same time. "I think I twisted my ankle."

Well, at this, Annabel promptly began to laugh again. Noelle sighed and rolled her eyes, and then most unbecomingly took Annabel and Lily by the back of their uniforms and dragged them across the floor with the help of a muttered spell.

And when the crazy trio left, the great hall let out a sigh of relief and continued eating. All except for Sirius (who felt horribly guilty about the whole thing) who stood up and raced through the doors. And James, of course, went after his friend, and then Remus and the Peter. But by the time Peter got there, the doors were swinging shut and hit Peter in the face.

Alice was awake when the three—or the five really—got there. "Hey," she croaked, giving a little cough and rolling her eyes. "My hair's a mess."

Annabel didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and so she began to do both of them.

Noelle rolled her eyes. "Not _this_ again."

Annabel wiped at her eyes with the edge of her sleeve. "You were dead, Alice."

Alice stared. "Was I really? That's surprising. I've always thought that if you were dead...you generally don't come back to life. You know...the whole 'I'm a zombie' bit." Alice shrugged.

"You could come back to life you were Inferi," Lily said helpfully. "You know, just a bit of information everyone should use." There was an awkward silence and her face fell. "Right. Um, so Alice, how are you feeling?"

"Great," Alice said. "Just great."

"Then let's get to Charms or we'll be late!" Annabel said. Noelle jumped. "What?"

"Since when did you become a time freak?" Noelle asked, looking at herself in the mirror with a slightly apprehensive look on her face. "Holy Merlin, my hair looks like crap."

Sirius nodded. "That it does, Jonn."

"Oh you shut up!" Noelle hit Sirius on the head. "You're just a big jerk, that's what you are."

James snickered.

"You shut up as well," Lily said to James. "Don't laugh at my friend!"

"I'm not!" James said with a shocked expression. "I'm laughing at Padfoot!"

"Ohhh thanks," said Sirius.

"Forget about your hair!" Annabel snapped. "Flitwick has a nasty habit of lecturing people who are late."

"Right," said Lily, leaping up from her chair. "Come on, the lot of you." She tugged on Noelle's arm.

They arrived just in time for Charms and Flitwick gave them _that look_. It was lucky that they were with Lily, who was a known favorite of Flitwick, because he overlooked them for once.

"Hello class," he squeaked in his tiny voice.

"Hello Professor Flitwick," the class replied.

"Today class, we will be casting the 'Bird Encounter" charm, also known as "Oppugno. We will be doing the right-hand flick with the swish and Trenton swirl. This is tricky, so you all need to _pay_ attention! Who remembers what the Trenton swirl is?"

Lily's hand shot up way before anyone else's. "It's a complicated flick going counterclockwise and then ending in a little flourish."

"Remarkable!" cried Professor Flitwick with a beam on his tiny, whiskered face. "Good job! Ten points to Gryffindor!"

Lily beamed.

Lily beamed all the way through Charms. Oh, how she loved Professor Flitwick. He was so...cheerful and sweet and kind and her absolute favorite teacher along with Professor Slughorn. No, scratch that, Professor Slughorn was a bit oppressing.

She snuck a look at James, who was completely bored looking. As she stared, he turned around and winked at her, and she looked down, cheeks flaming with anger, embarrassment and even a little mortification.

Mortification?

Lily reached into her pocket for the notebook that she always carried around. It was specially enchanted so no one other than herself could read or write in. Nobody knew about it; they all assumed that it was full of notes. After all, she made sure to look up every now and then as if she was busy listening to what the teacher said.

_Date: September 19_

_Time: 9:31_

_Class or whatever you call it: Charms, of course. _

_What's wrong with being mortified?_

_Mortification is alright. _

_Yes, just marvelous. _

_...Aargh! I'm being completely silly. What's wrong with being mortified even if it's Potter that you're being mortified with? Stupid! _

_And I turned red. _

_Bright-tomato-red. _

_That's the curse of being a red-head; you always turn an unfortunate shade of red. Or something like that. So we're learning about the Oppugno charm, and it's pretty boring because I learned how to do it, like, last year. Bless Flitwick. He always gives us easy charms._

_Note's just landed on my desk. _

_Be right back. _

** So, what're you writing about? -JP**

Lily glanced up and glared at Potter, who gave her a cheeky grin.

_ Nothing, you imbecile! Why aren't you paying attention? -LE_

** Because you aren't, are you?**

_ Well, no, but I've already learned this charm. _

** So've I.**

Lily shot up with surprise, and James grinned some more at her, raising his eyebrows. She could feel Annabel trying to look over her shoulder at her note and covered it with her hand. _Really? I thought you were a do-good nothing who slacked off in everything. You know, like you ALWAYS are, Potter! Where'd you learn the charm?_

** Ouch, Lily. I learned it in fourth year. I had to use it to curse Snivellus. **

_ Don't call him that! And why are you calling me Lily?_

** ….is there anything wrong with calling you Lily?**

_ Well, why no 'Evans'?_

** Alright then. Ouch, Evans.**

_Shut up!_

** OUCH! Lady, why do you have to throw it at my eye?**

_ Well, you have glasses to protect you, don't you?_

** IT CAN GET UNDER THE GLASSES, OKAY?**

_ Ooh, touchy touchy. Have I gotten to a skimmed over topic much?_

…

_ Potter?_

…

_ Potter? What's wrong?_

…

_ POTTER! JAMES POTTER. _

…

** Don't forget that we meet in two days. **

_ AHA! Response!_

Lily looked up to see James winking at her, and stuffed the notes into her bag. Annabel, who was watching her, carefully dipped her hand into the bag and drew out the notes and stuffed them into her own rucksack.

"Class dismissed!" chirped Flitwick. "Don't forget, your homework is to practice the charm at least once or twice! There's going to be a pop quiz tomorrow, don't forget!"

Lily caught up to James. "What was that all about?"

James shrugged. "Go out with me, Evans?"

The question seemed to slip out involuntarily, and hung in the air for a while before either one of them reacted. James winced. "No—Lily—force of habit—I'm sorry—"

"Don't bother!" Lily looked completely pissed. "I can't—I just can't. I came over to ask you what was wrong and you...ooh, you make me so mad! Shut up!" She flashed James a glare and stalked away.

_I can't believe I have to bake a cake with him in two days!_ Lily thought to herself, giving an evil scowl at some poor fifth years that were unfortunate enough to bump into her. _If the cake wasn't for Remus, then I would totally not do it!_

Sirius put a hand on James' shoulder. "Mate, she teased you about your glasses, right?"

"Yep," James said, sighing. "I just couldn't help it...I got mad! And this...it was force of habit...and aargh!"

"You crashed and burned," said Remus, almost reverently. "_Fast_."

James shrugged. "I've done it faster."

* * *

><p>Back in her dorm, Annabel drew the curtains around her bed and opened the notes, her pulse quickening. Her eyes widened and she laughed a few times before glossing over the rest and stopping at the end.<p>

"Meet you in two days?" Her eyes widened even more. "What the..." She scratched her head.

There was no doubt. The proof was in the notes.

_Lily was going out on a date with James Potter in two days._

* * *

><p>Silvery flakes drifted from the sky onto the house. However, it wasn't snow.<p>

No, it was ash.

Gleaming in the moonlight, it drifted onto the woman. Her name was Crystal, and she was as beautiful as crystal itself, with hair that shone silver in the light, but was really a lovely light yellow and her eyes were as blue as a sapphire. The ashes built up onto the woman until it appeared that her hair was full of snowflakes, and her simple nightgown dusted with stars.

But however as pure crystal could be, Crystal was anything but pure. As an innocent robin watched from a tree, she swept her hand around and there was a vibrant burst of flame. Her hands trembling, she uncapped a vial of gold liquid and downed it. The gold liquid steamed, but she downed it with not even a wince.

"Disgusting," she muttered to herself, wiping her mouth on one ash-coated sleeve and dusting the ashes from her skirt with vigorous sweeps.

A man crept from the shadows. He was the twin of the woman, except with a handsome face. But one look at his eyes could show that they were not, in fact, siblings, because there was a terrible longing in his eyes as he stared at the woman.

"Charles," she said in a gentle voice. "How...lovely for you to come." Her voice hardened. "You have news?"

"Indeed, my love," said Charles, his eyes following Crystal's every move. He licked his lips. "A werewolf is in Hogwarts."

This made the woman jerk with surprise. "Oh really?" She chucked dryly. "Hogwarts has fallen far too far." She giggled at her own joke. "Soon, Lord Voldemort will reign supreme, and I will be the only Muggle that the lord will dote upon with all his devotion."

"Of course." Charles had a sour expression on his face that Crystal didn't even notice. "But...my love...may I have one kiss?"

"Of course not?" Crystal recoiled. "How daring of you to ask something like that." Her voice was almost flirtatious.

"But my love-"

"Oh shut up, you." Crystal dragged her long nails across Charles' cheek with a soft purr. "We'll be together...forever...just like you wanted, right?"

"Of course my love, but-"

"Then we need the werewolf blood," said Crystal.

"But why from _this _werewolf?" whined Charles. "Surely there are more werewolves in this world."

"No, you idiot!" snapped Crystal. "I need _his_ blood because he is young...and he has my type of blood, which is very rare indeed. And none of the other werewolves that are male are so vulnerable like him!"

"Alright, but-"

Crystal's hand descended like a whip, cracking Charles across the face. "Don't ask me questions, you whelp?"

Charles clutched his cheek. "Of course, my pet."

Crystal kissed him on the cheek. "Then go, love."

Charles, nursing his wounded cheek, stumbled across the grass towards Hogwarts, looming in the distance. _Women_, he thought sourly, and then his mind found a picture of Crystal's face, beautiful and hard, lovely and cold. _But they're worth it_.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh look! The actual idea that there might be a plot! But no, the "big something" is not Crystal. It's...something else. Anyway, there are a few fics that I'd like to recommend for this chapter. <strong>

**Exposed by RJLupinFan. AWWW such a cute little Remus Lupin/OC one-shot. I find myself reading it time and time again. **

**Commentarius by B. C. Daily GOD I LOVE THAT FIC! No, seriously. Lily/James, SOOO incredibly hilarious and beautiful! **

**Literacy and Longing by iluv2eatcarbs. Ohh, I remember that RL/OC fic. So incredibly beautiful and funny!**

**The True Confessions of Elizabeth Reynolds by SailingAwaySoftly. I have only one thing to say. FETCHEZ LA VACHE!**

**Tell me in a review a fanfiction that YOU particularly enjoyed and I'll check it out!**


	13. Wings and Girls with Pink Hair

**So hello everyone on this fine day! I haff a cut on my lip and it's bleeding. Yep. I'm not so happy about that. I wasn't going to update this for a while, but then I realized, "I'm tired, and I think it would cheer me up to have reviews!" so...Hola! Thanks PhoenixFanatic999 for being superamazing like always!**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twelve: Wings and Girls with Pink Hair<p>

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><p>Review Replies: <strong>Clevernugget:<strong> He's not exactly going to be a Toby, so no fear of that. Crystal and Charles...gonna give a big plot bunny away here: They're the pain villains. Not Voldemort. Blake annoys me, but I LOVE writing him. **AikoRose:** Anime sobs? LOL! So awesome! More than a drop, more like hearts blood. Because she wants TO LIVE FOREVER MUA HA HA...lolz. **georgethecunt:** Awwwwww. XD. LOL, yeah, the last bit wasn't originally supposed to be there *shifty eyes* but I wanted 4000 words... *Even more shifty eyes* and people complained to me before how long it took for me to get an actual plot, so looky here! PLOT!** FleurSuoh:** LOL, thanks! Well...uh...here's your new chapter! **InsaneIsMyMiddleName:** For a minute I had no idea who you were and then i was like, "OH! It's xXxFredWeasleyForeverxXx!" Well, your new name is considerably easier to write! :D Thanks for the compliment!**Mabel:** Awwwww XOXO. Thanks. You like suspense? YAY! I actually feel really sorry for you...having to check every now and then because you can't get email alert if you don't have an FF account. Well, helloo! Thanks for reviewing! **ForeverTeamEdward13:** Well, since you asked, I'll put up descriptions at the bottom for you! Read on, FTE13 XD

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

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><p>Quote: An original idea. That's not too hard. The library must be full of them! ~Stephen Fry<p>

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><p>Annabel was acting strange around Lily.<p>

Lily noticed it the first thing that morning. Annabel was already up, and instead of just ignoring the fact that Lily was up, she turned and did the strangest thing..._she smiled and hugged Lily_. Lily would usually think that this was weird, but alright, but then Annabel said another strange thing. "I'm so proud of you, Lily!" she gushed.

"Er...what?" Lily asked.

Annabel giggled. "Oh, don't be silly. I'm so glad that you get over your petty hatreds."

Lily stared at the robot that replaced her friend. "Um...what petty hatred?"

"Well, you know, just hatred in general." Annabel giggled some more. "I'm just so _glad_."

Noelle struggled up. "What the hell is wrong with you, Anna?" she asked, yawning.

"Oh nothing," Annabel said, and then stared meaningfully at Noelle.

Noelle grinned. "Oh right. Nothing."

Lily rolled her eyes. "You lot are psycho."

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><p>"Good morning class," said the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Feibe. Her nondescript, washed out hair was pulled away from her sharp face in a bun that was completely unflattering to her facial appearances. "Today, we will be learning about the Billywig. Who can tell me what a billywig is? Classifications? Anyone?"<p>

Lily was the only one who put her hand up. The rest of the class was doodling, yawning. Some, like Sirius, were already on the verge of sleeping, although they had only been in the class for a record of three minutes.

"Yes, Ms. Evans?"

"The billywig is a magical insect, native to Australia. It's about half an inch long and a very bright blue. The sting of a Billywig causes giddiness and levitation, and is highly sought after by Australian wizards. The classification is XXX."

"Excellent. Class, please line up to receive your Fizzing Whizbees."

There was an excited murmur as the class went up to get the sweet candies. Sirius snored.

"Mr. Black!"

Sirius tumbled out of his chair, landing with a _bang_ on the floor. "Whasshappened?" he slurred. The class laughed at him, and he turned scarlet, righting his chair.

"Please come up and get your Fizzing Whizbee," said Professor Feibe, sighing slightly. Now that Annabel was up close, she could see that Professor Feibe did have some hidden prettiness in her, something in her hair. It wasn't really colorless, now that Annabel saw it, but instead the palest yellow-gray she'd ever seen with some really pretty blue tinges. But her face was still as hard and unresponsive as ever. "Here you go, Annabel." Professor Feibe handed her a Fizzing Whizbee from the bottom of the pile, eyes flittering.

Sirius mumbled a 'yeah, sure, okay' and stumbled to the back of the line.

When they were all in their seats and chewing on their Fizzing Whizbees, they raised a few inches in the air to some laughter and plenty of giggling. Remus took one look at his Fizzing Whizbee and made a face, pushing it away.

"What's wrong?" Annabel asked.

"I don't like Fizzing Whizbees so much," Remus said. "They always taste a bit gross to me."

Professor Feibe watched them with a little smile on her face and then said, "These treats are made from Billywig stings."

People spat them out, including Annabel. Sirius, however, just smiled and continued sucking on his with a blissful look on his face. Someone smeared his Fizzing Whizbee on Sirius' hair. Sirius' eyes flew open. "OI! WATCH THE HAIR!"

Lily stared down at her Fizzing Whizbee with a slightly disgusted look on her face and pushed it away from her.

Professor Feibe smiled delicately. "Now that I've got your attention, let us proceed. Billywigs are sweet creatures, but their sting can a reaction, sickness, or whatever you'd like to call it, I honestly don't really care." She placed her hands flatly on the table with a narrow-eyed look. "But all of you need to know what a Billywig looks like because recently, some Billywigs have been...genetically engineered or magically engineered to have poisonous stings. They look the same as regular Billywigs, but they are deadly."

Some people snickered and James called out, "Billywigs are silly little creatures. Who the hell would choose to use a _Billywig_ to torture someone?"

"People like Voldemort and his followers."

The voice died down.

Alice's voice trembled. "How can you say that name?"

"Voldemort?" Professor Feibe laughed, coldly, her voice high. Her eyes glimmered and Annabel frowned. Had Professor Feibe's eyes been that shade of sapphire blue? It was really a very lovely color...She looked again and it was that ugly gray again.

The rest of the lesson was rather interesting, with long sentences woven together in a melody, but Remus couldn't help that whenever he asked a question, she would look at him with a rather hungry look on her face. So he didn't look at her or say anything.

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><p>Lunch was curious.<p>

Maybe it was because in the middle of lunch, the customary pumpkin juice was replaced by a sparkling gold cider. Everyone thought nothing of it except for Severus Snape, usually the brunt of the Marauder's jokes. But as people drank it without suffering any effects, eventually even Severus Snape took a drink.

Then James grinned devilishly.

Remus casually put his left hand in front of his mouth with a piece of bread clutched tightly and muttered the incantation under his breath, waving his wand under the table. Annabel suddenly gasped, eyes going wide, as something _protruded _from her back, something long and gauzy and draping.

She turned her head and gasped.

Long, almost translucent, wings came from her back in a gorgeous array of colors. Turning to her friends, all of them had wings as well. Lily was looking genuinely surprised as she turned to her own wings. She had an especially dazzling pair of wings, the greenest shade ever, matching her eyes exactly and they were sparkling with a million little sparkles and sort of leaf-shaped. When Annabel looked closer, those little sparkles were tiny dewdrops.

The girls got the pretty wings, the boys got the dark, dangerous ones. Bat wings, wings that looked like cobwebs, wings with fake blood dripping off of them.

And the Slytherins?

They didn't get wings at all. They got _bugs_. Bugs, crawling on their faces, their hair, all over them.

Annabel tried to flap her wings, but they wouldn't flap. She turned to the Marauders and smiled, brilliantly, and she caught a sight of Blake. He had bugs too, and she laughed.

"This must be the only prank that I approved of," Lily said fervently, turning around to see her wings again.

"So you like them?" James asked hopefully, coming up from behind.

Lily smiled for once. "Like them? They're stunning!"

"Then do you forgive me?"

Lily smiled again, a bit shyly. "Maybe." Then she hurried off with Noelle and Alice. Noelle was sporting a pair of bright blue wings and Alice had these wings with a membrane as fine as silk, with veins of pure silver.

James turned to Annabel.

"I think that means that she forgives you," Annabel said. "I love the wings, by the way! How long will they last?"

"Three days, max?" James shrugged.

The Marauders got no detention, and the teachers turned a blind eye to the prank, even though Slughorn pulled Remus aside to ask exactly which potion he used, and Professor McGonagall thanked James for her own wings (which were a jet-black and had little diamonds hanging off the edges.) Sirius had loads of girls hanging over him even more (to Noelle's utter contempt) and even Peter had some attention thanks to his own wings, which were darling and sunshine-colored with beams of light. A little girly, Annabel thought.

She sat with Alice in Transfiguration and they had a chat about...cookies. _Strangest topic ever_, Annabel mused, _but strangely entertaining_. They talked about snickerdoodles, about cake cookies, about anything random, anything funny, and they nearly got detention for it.

It was in the middle of Potions when Annabel's neck started to prickle. She jerked, nearly throwing her bottle of armadillo bile into the pot before Lily caught it for her and hissed a reprimand. Annabel turned around and saw that a boy with dark hair and intense eyes was staring at her. Ravenclaw guy...David. She scowled and turned back to the front. Honestly, she didn't want to have to do anything with David since his friends decided that they didn't like her.

"Why are you scowling?" Lily whispered.

"Nothing," snapped Annabel, adding the porcupine quills. What resulted was a dark gray potion that smoldered until Lily added a dollop of goat fat and it sizzled down again, turning a dark muddy green that was nothing at all like Lily's fern-green.

"Excellent, excellent," Slughorn said absentmindedly, patting Lily's head like she was a dog. "You _are_ coming to my little party, aren't you, Lily dear?"

"Of course, Professor Slughorn," Lily said, giving a little sigh before adding to Annabel in an undertone, "Another party? He had one last week!"

Annabel giggled. "That's Professor Slughorn for you, isn't it?"

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><p>The wings faded away by the weekend, but Sirius had something else planned. In fact, he had a very big thing planned. Birds were fun to play with, he decided, and even more fun to prank. But not the kind of birds that fly around on wings...the type that have hair and eyes and lips and a <em>body<em>.

And he had his eye set on a fiery blonde girl.

Who, he decided, would look better pink.

Noelle relaxed against the beech tree. _What a lovely day_, she thought idly, wind lifting up her hair with a ruffle and the sun blazing through the tree's leaves. She closed her eyes—just for a second—and then...

"Blimey, Noelle what're you doing here?"

Noelle opened her eyes with an inward groan. "Hello Black," she said coldly, seeing that he was carting yet _another_ girl with him.

Sirius tossed something towards her. "Catch."

Reflexively, she did. It was a thin canister full of water. "What's this for?" she asked sarcastically.

"I don't know," replied Sirius, looping an arm around the waist of the Arabian beauty next to him. "It's from Alice." He huffed. "Do I look like a packhorse or something to you? Honestly, _women_ sometimes. They think that they can just boss around us men!"

"No, love," said the Arabian girl, nuzzling up to Sirius.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I didn't ask _you_ Erin." The slightest twinge of annoyance was in his face and Noelle suddenly felt like she knew what was about to happen.

The Arabian girl's dark eyes widened and she stomped on his foot and stormed away with an angry huff, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Arse!"

Sirius had a look of astonishment painted on his face. "What did I do?"

"If you asked me," said Noelle dryly, "I would think that it was because 'Erin' is a red-haired chick in Hufflepuff with freckles. You went out with her once."

Sirius winced. "Damn. Second time this year."

Noelle rolled her eyes and took a sip of the water. It was pleasantly cool. As she drank, she saw a smile spread across Sirius' face as he stared at something behind her. "What?"

"Oh, you'll see," said Sirius.

Noelle checked behind her. Nothing. Sirius was being an idiot, like always. "Go away, Sirius."

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><p>Seraphine Son, an Asian girl with black hair streaked with yellow highlights, was endowed with a large nose and a mole on the side of her neck. Other than that, she was amazing—perfect figure, awesome hair, but she blurted out everything she thought of. So when she decided to sit next to Noelle, maybe blab about her new boyfriend, Noelle saw her eyes widen and Seraphine blurted out, "Your hair is pink."<p>

Noelle almost didn't comprehend it. "Hey Seraphine, what's up—what? WHAT?"

"Your _hair_ is _pink_."

Noelle raced off into the castle, where she found a mirror in the girl's loo and groaned.

Her hair was pink.

Not a lovely creamy pink, but a hot fushcia that stood out brightly against her school uniform. Clara, who was washing her hands, took one look at her and burst into laughter, drying her hands on her skirt.

"Quit it!" said Noelle crossly. "Oh _god_, what happened?"

"Looks like a spell was cast on you," snickered Clara. While she and Annabel hated each other, Noelle and Clara were on okay terms, civil really.

Noelle's eyes widened. "The water."

She raced away again, leaving Clara slightly puzzled, and charged to the Fat Lady. "Mintflower," she snapped and the Fat Lady swung open with a shout of, "Yes, don't thank me" and Noelle ran up the stairs. Alice was sitting on the floor, scribbling out an essay, and looked up with shock as Noelle entered the room. "Your hair is pink!" she screeched.

"Thanks to you! What spell did you put on that water?"

"Water? What water?"

"Don't play innocent with me—I'm really not in the mood for it!" snarled Noelle, checking out her hair in the mirror. Yep, it was still pink. She paced around the room.

"No, really Noelle, I mean it. What water?"

Noelle froze. "You mean...you didn't give me that water? Whoa wait? But if you didn't give me water...then...oh that filthy BASTARD. I am going to KILL him. That absolute bloody FOOL. I hate him! First, I'll cut out his heart and then I'll ask Annabel to stomp on him—she likes to stomp really—and then I'll savagely pull out his BRAIN, the complete JERK!" She checked her watch. It was lunchtime. The arse would be in the Great Hall by now with his Marauder pals. Grabbing her wand, she headed for the doorway.

Alice pulled on her shoes and followed Noelle. "Whoever this 'bloody arse' is, I want to be there when you kill him!"

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><p>Annabel stared down at her pumpkin juice and felt her stomach roil again.<p>

Lily touched her elbow. "Anna, you alright?"

"No," gasped out Annabel. "I feel really, really sick." She clutched her stomach and hiccupped. "It hurts."

Lily looked concerned. "You should go to the Hospital Wing."

"What for?" Annabel felt the moment pass. "Nah, I'm fine now." She looked up and saw Professor Feibe watching her with an intense look on her face. How odd—Professor Feibe's hair looked molten gold for a second, but then when she looked again, it was the same washed out yellow with the bluish tinges.

"Why're you staring at Professor Feibe?" James asked.

"Nothing," said Annabel. "It's just that...do you ever feel like her hair and eyes and face change colors sometimes?"

Remus looked up from the thick book he was poring over. "She creeps me out."

"Professor Feibe?" Peter asked. "What's wrong with her?"

Remus shrugged. "She _stares_ at me sometimes with this hungry look in her eyes..." He picked up his fork and waved it around before impaling a piece of steak on it.

Annabel groaned again as another wave of pain struck her. Lily's eyes widened. "That's it. You'd better get to the Hospital Wing-"

The doors slammed open.

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><p>Noelle was mad. No, scratch that, she was <em>enraged<em>. That filthy jerk—thinks that he could get away with anything. HA! She'd show him.

She slammed open the doors as hard as she could, nearly hitting someone (but thankfully he jumped aside). "SIRIUS BLACK!" she thundered. "WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO MY HAIR?"

Sirius, seeing her, busted into laughter and fell off the bench with a loud thump. He shook with laughter as Noelle stormed up to him. Alice followed in her wake.

"You think this is funny?" Noelle snapped.

"Y-yes," Sirius choked out.

"FINE THEN!" Noelle turned his skin green and silver. "Have fun being a Slytherin!"

Sirius' skin turned bright green. "WELL THEN!" He waved his wand and her clothes turned into a barmaid's outfit. "Go and shag people then!'

"Aargh!" Noelle stomped her foot and turned his clothes into the suit of a giant bunny rabbit. "There! Now you can be Remus' furry little problem!"

Sirius waved his wand, clutched in his furry bunny hand and she was dressed in an outfit with a very short skirt and a laced up shirt.

By this time, most of the people in the Great Hall were laughing as they watched them, several boys catcalling and some of the girls in Sirius' fan club giggling, when Professor Greento came up to them and said, "Detention! Both of you! Eight o' clock tonight, the trophy room! I am ashamed of your behaviour!"

"Oh relax, Martha," said Professor Feibe. "It was just a harmless prank."

Professor Greento's eyes snapped. "Well, Lacey, people must be taught discipline!" She brushed her light, wispy yellow hair out of her eyes with a small huff of frustration and turned to the students. "I expect to see you all at eight." She waved her hand and Noelle's clothes returned to normal, and Sirius turned back to normal as well. However, Noelle's hair remained the bright hot pink.

"Professor Greento, what about my hair?" Noelle cried out.

Professor Greento gave an apologetic look. "Ms. Jonn, I'm afraid I can't do anything about your hair. We'll just have to wait and see about it."

Noelle gave Sirius a filthy look.

Annabel gritted her teeth as another wave of pain passed over her, but this time it grew and grew until her fingers loosened from the table and she collapsed onto the floor. There was an exclamation from Lily, who dropped to her knees to cradle Annabel's head, and Noelle forgot about her pink hair momentarily and raced over with Alice as well.

"What happened?" Remus asked, crawling under the table to stare at Annabel with a slightly bewildered look on his face.

"Don't just stand there!" Noelle shouted. "Do something!"

"Take her to the hospital wing," Alice said.

"_Mobilicorpus_," Lily said, and Annabel was lifted from the ground. "I'll take her."

"I'll come," offered Remus.

Professor Feibe smiled and took a sip of her pumpkin juice.

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><p>Fauna rolled her eyes. How like Foster, to call attention to herself yet <em>again<em>.

"What're you rolling your eyes about?" Tisha asked.

"It's Foster again," Fauna said. "She's so full of herself. It makes me sick."

Tisha sighed. This happened all the time. "Look, why do you hate her so much?"

Fauna scowled. "Well, David likes her, and she likes him back, and she's so full of herself, so dramatic, and all 'I'm so amazing' just because she's friends with the Marauders! And then she's now ignoring David and I _know_ that I would be better for David, and she's just so _obnoxious_ sometimes." Fauna sighed and put her head in her hands. "Do you think I'm overreacting?"

"Yes," replied Tisha. "Anyway, Alice is friends with her, so she can't be _that_ bad."

"Shut up, Tisha!" Fauna said irritably. "Look at her, with Remus following her like a lovesick puppy—"

"Excuse me, Fauna?"

Fauna's cheeks blazed a bright red as she whirled around. Remus was there, eyes wide and confused. They were in the library, of course, but she knew that Annabel rarely went to the library. "Remus!" she said. "Um, I'm sorry but-"

"I can assure you, I don't like Annabel that way."

"Of course!" Fauna was completely mortified. "But it does seem that way-"

"Annabel and I are just friends."

The way that he said it made Fauna completely certain that they were friends, and she was still completely embarrassed. Those light brown eyes were so _penetrating_, and she was drowning in them, drowning in those light brown eyes and was embarrassed completely about drowning in them. She tore her eyes away and coughed once. And when she turned back, he was gone and she could just see the hem of his cloak whipping around a bookshelf.

Tisha was gaping after him. "Wow. People need to start a Remus fan club."

Fauna glared at her. "Why?"

"Because just _look_ at him." Tisha sighed dreamily. "He's so _hot_. His eyes, his hair, his voice..."

"Okay, you're sounding like a stalker." Fauna glared at her some more. "He's scary and his eyes freak me out." She snorted. "See, Foster's just stringing him along, or maybe they are just friends...but really, what boy stays friends with _Foster_ and doesn't end up snogging her?"

"James Potter."

Fauna glared even MORE at Tisha. "Get your head out of the clouds! Be serious, Tisha."

"I am, and I love Remus Lupin."

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><p>Remus turned bright red.<p>

After he (confronted? Yelled at? Lectured?) Fauna, he overheard Tisha talking about him.

And _Merlin_ he did not want a fan club.

So after checking out the book he needed, he went to the Hospital Wing, where Lily was talking with still pink-haired Noelle. Annabel, to his surprise, was already sitting up and drinking this foul-looking potion that bubbled and frothed.

"Hey Remus," she said, grimacing.

"Drink up," Madam Pomfrey said, bustling to another patient. "Good heavens, if you wait it'll be even worse."

Annabel gagged. "And we wouldn't want that, would we?" Downing the juice, she made a face. "Ew."

"What does it taste like?" Remus asked.

"It tastes like hell, and that is all you need to know," Annabel responded.

"What happened?"

"Well, Madam Pomfrey says that I must've eaten something that I was allergic to, and so she gave me this medicine and told me that it would stave off my allergies or something, whatever." Annabel shrugged. "I told you it was nothing."

Remus' ears turned red as he remembered Fauna saying, "_Remus following her like a lovesick puppy_..."

"What's wrong?"  
>He came back to realize that Annabel was looking at him intently, head cocked to the side.<p>

"N-nothing," he stammered.

"You're turning red."

They stared into each other eyes for a second, Remus a bit embarassedly, and Annabel accusingly, but then the tables were turned and Annabel found that she was actually near blushing because it was a little awkward and she leaned forward just a bit and their faces were inches apart.

There was a bang and they both jumped back and turned around.

Noelle giggled and Lily looked smug.

Lily had changed Noelle's hair so that the bright pink was now darker magenta and had streaks of darker purple in it, and looked amazing. But it was still pink.

"I'm still going to kill Black," Noelle muttered.

"Yeah, or you'll throw yourself at him and snog him to death," Annabel offered.

Noelle glared at her.

Remus felt intensely awkward. After all...this was girl talk. "I'd better go," he said. "You know...stuff to do, places to be, pranks to plan—"

"Not on my watch!" Lily snapped.

Remus escaped.

Just barely.

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><p>Alice absentmindedly doodled on her parchment while Daphne scribbled on another piece of parchment next to her. "So what's up, Daph?"'<p>

"Eh?" Daphne blinked at her.

"Never mind," Alice said, sighing.

Daphne shrugged. "Alright then." She turned to a book. "Did you know that the writer was murdered?"

"Fascinating," Alice said dryly.

"The writer was-"

There was a slam as Remus came into the common room. "Is Prongs here?" he asked. "Hey Alice. Hey Daphne."

Daphne stared at him, looking slightly confused. "How the hell do you know my name?"

Remus stared at her back for a second. "I don't know. Your name is Daphne right?"

"Yeah, yeah it is," said Daphne, and then turned back to her book.

"Hi Remus," Alice said. "No, I don't know where James is."

"Damn," said Remus.

The portrait swung open and Peter clambered in, eyes wide and squeaking. "Moony!" he exclaimed. "James...Sirius...rampage..."  
>"Oh <em>no<em>," moaned Remus.

And then there came the distant sound of screaming.

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><p><strong>To those of you who might be wondering: Yes, Annabel and Remus nearly kissed. Yes, there is something mysterious going on. Yes, Professor Feibe is-Ah ah ah! No plot spoilers me!<strong>

**For ForeverTeamEdward13:**

**Annabel:** I think I'd imagine her to have really light brown hair and gray-blue eyes with a sort of ovalish face? Some scattered freckles on her cheeks, not too noticeable and of middling height. Small nose, biggish eyes, kinda curvy, but not so much.

**Noelle:** Ha-ha! Long golden hair, blue eyes, and fiery temper. She's uh, kinda mary-sue in appearance. *looks away sheepishly* and I think the actress to portray her the best would be...uh...someone give me an actress name?

**Review?**


	14. Persistant James and a Love Spell

***author hesitantly walks into the room. Angry reviewers spot her. Their eyes pop out. "THERE SHE IS! GET HER!" and chase after her. **

**Yes, I suck. Sorry. But every time I make a chapter there's a whole lot of things i have to do...this and that, and that and this, but my beta is COMPLETELY fantastic and hasn't complained that i'm only one sixth-nay, LESS than one sixth through chapter 15. So yes. I really do suck. But however, we are ALMOST THROUGH autumn, and winter will start in November. So yeah. About five chapters till winter, and then there's spring, then summer and then autumn again, winter, spring and then it's THE END.**

**Sheesh. I plan out really long stories. Also, I'll be updating the first couple of chapters, fixing them up a bit, sending them to my beta and adding quotes to them! Quotes! And, just for a tip, if you actually READ the author's note and the review replies, it spoils the stories quite a bit because I'm always revealing bunches of stuff.**

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><p>Chapter Thirteen: Persistent James and a Love Spell<p>

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><p>Review Replies: <strong>WentToManderleyAgain:<strong> Yay! Hi Emily! It's soooo great to see that you're reading MY Remus/OC fic even though I'm sorta betaing yours...*crickets chirp* Er, yeah. Thanks for reviewing!** Mabel:** Yeah...I actually don't HATE any of my characters (except for Annabel sometimes) but I'm glad that you feel so strongly about this story! It's always great when a reader does that. Haha, I hope Fauna never crosses your path. You know, you can recover your password if you know your email. **ForeverTeamEdward: **Heh, well, thanks for reviewing! I swear, I never would have thought of putting up the character profiles if it hadn't been for your review! **InsaneIsMyMiddleName:** Well, they WILL kiss by the end of sixth year... *mischievous look* and with this story it's not going to be like my other stories where it's like, they date once and it's happily ever after! No, there's going to be a helluva of drama drama drama! Naw, they didn't explain it in this chapter...it's explained in THIS chapter! yayyy!** beba78:** Blake Lively will do just FINE! She's a fantastic girl for Noelle. Awh, thanks. :) It's so great to wake up and have a review!** Nizuna Fujieda:** Ooh, wow, your name is COMPLICATED! More complicated than FleurSuoh's, but if you review again and again I'll gradually get used to it...:D Thanks for reviewing/I'm glad you like the story!** Erin Of Mischief: ** All these creative fanfiction names now that I think of it. It almost makes ME want to change MY name! But I'm too used to justawriter33, so I won't. Blech. Thanks soo much. Yeahh...I would TOTALLY stare at Remus in a creepy stalkerish way, but that would be creepy stalkerish way so I just stare at this guy I like in school that way! :D **Clevernugget:** yesh! A totally sweet moment! I love writing fluff...As for the other part of the review: *shifty eyes* Nooooooooo...And who doesn't want to saute Remmy and eat him?** AikoRose:** PSH. You guys are too smart for me...GAH. But I will be able to tell you this: She poisoned SOMETHING, but it wasn't Annabel's dinner. Something before...I thought I revealed it? Anyway..**GrippoMustaine1996:** Awh, I'm not nice. You want me to update and I don't update for ages...yeah, I'm a mean girl. XD. I'm so glad that you're hooked! That made me smile, a supermegabigsmile that stretched from one ear to the other!** HGromanticsap: **3 you reviewers for all your sweet kind reviews, and thank YOU, HGromanticsap for your supernice review! Thanksss! lol** Ash Colored Wings:** Your name is really beautiful in a way that I can't really describe it. So I'm going to stop being a creeper and just say, THANK YOU SO FREAKING MUCH FOR LOVING MY STORY IT MEANS A LOT TO BE *gasp for air* I think that Keira Knightly is FANTASTIC and BEAUTIFUL, but it doesn't really ring for me. But thanks for trying!

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

* * *

><p>Quote: Aim high and you won't shoot your foot off ~Phyllis Diller<p>

* * *

><p>A girl came into the common room, eyes wide. "HELP!" she screamed.<p>

Remus leapt up. "What happened?"

"Black and Potter—they drank something they thought was butterbeer—but it was Pep Me Up—mixed with sugar and honey and hyper stuff and they're..." She gulped. "They're..."

Remus groaned. "Oh no."

"What?" Alice asked. "What are they doing?"

"I can think of a multitude of things," muttered Remus. "Peter, come on, we need to get them. Rampage?"

"Yeah, a rampage," squeaked Peter, eyes wide with horror. "Remember what they did last time...do you think..."

Remus shuddered. "I hope not!"

They ran out of the common room, where they found a huge crowd in the corridor. And by huge, it was as in a gigantic array of people looking at two boys in the center, who were currently acting crazed.

Remus winced.

Rampage it was.

Shoving, pushing and even spelling his way through the crowd, he grimaced as he entered the circle. James had removed his tie and had it around his head, and Sirius was singing (rather loudly) 'The Twigs on the Broomstick' and everyone looked amused.

Except for Remus.

Sirius giggled as Remus came close. "Remmy!" he said, jumping up and down before placing his hands on Remus' face. "You have a nose."

"Yes, of course," Remus said impatiently. "I have a nose. So do you. Astonishing. What did you drink?"

"Pee."

There was an outbreak of giggling from James, who seemed unable to stop before falling to the floor in a stream of laughter and Sirius giggled as well before grabbing a girl from the crowd and snogging her, with the girl snogging him back. Remus bumped into someone and saw a girl with dark red-brown hair and determined brown eyes push him aside and wrench Sirius off the girl. "Off my friend, you!" she snapped.

Sirius giggled and took the girl with the auburn hair and kissed her before the girl pushed him away and slapped him. "You're drunk, you fool!"

"No, no, they drank something," Remus said. "Not firewhisky. They were fed Pep-Me-Up that was mixed with something else."

The girl gave him a scornful look. "It's _Black_, Lupin. He _must_ be drunk."

Remus felt a wave of indignation rise over him and he allowed himself a few moments of annoyance before hauling Sirius over his shoulder. But Sirius, cackling some more with lipstick smeared all over his face, waved his wand at James, resulting in a wave of pink magic absorbing into James, who blinked.

And then Lily Evans burst into the picture, her face annoyed. "What the hell is going on here?" she asked.

Remus was possibly the only one who saw James' dazed hazel eyes focus on Lily and sharpen with a delighted intensity. But however, everyone saw when James lurched at Lily like a drunken fool and clasped his hand around her wrist. "Your hair is so pretty," he said dreamily. "Like fire. Fi-yer. I like fiyer." He snickered.

"Get off of me!" Lily snapped, raising her wand.

"No!"

Lily turned to Remus. "What?"

Remus paused. "You can't hex him. He doesn't know what he's doing. Someone slipped something into the Pep-me-up potion he and Sirius drank. They thought it was butterbeer."

Lily scowled. "But get him off of me!"

Remus turned to Sirius and said, "_Stupefy_," to which Sirius crumpled to the floor, and slowly he dragged James off of Lily. "James'll get out of it faster than Sirius, and he's less of a danger to have around."

James stared at Lily. "You have the greenest eyes I've ever seen. They're beautiful. Like emeralds."

"You've told me that, Potter," Lily said, though she seemed quite flustered. "Now get away from me!"

"They're so pretty. Can I call you sexy-pants?" James grinned slightly, his face pink with heat and exertion.

Lily gaped at him.

"No? No sexy pants? How about hot lips." James snickered. "Or hot hair cause you have fiery hair. You know? No like hot hair? Fine. How about buttercup? Cause you're a flowery person. You always have that flower perfume and those-"

There was a crack as Lily slapped James and stormed away.

"_Aguamenti_," said the girl with the friend that snogged Sirius. James sputtered at the barrage of water. Remus turned to thank the girl, but she was already gone with her friend, and he could see her red-brown head bobbing through the crowd, moving away steadily.

James collapsed. "Moony? How did I get here?"

Remus pulled out his little box of Hangover Potions that he always had for Sirius. "Here," he said, sighing a bit.

James downed the potion in one gulp. His eyes brightened. "Thanks. My headache's gone. Where's sexy pants?"

Remus swallowed. "Sexy-pants?"

"You know, that stunning girl with the red hair and green eyes and gorgeous name. Lily Evans." His eyes lit up with a fire. "I'm going to marry her."

Remus stared.

"Marry?" he croaked out. "We're in sixth year."

"But I _love_ her," James said.

Remus whirled around to the conked out Sirius, the gears clicking in his mind. _Damn_, he thought. Sirius giggled in his sleep and babbled out, "I like pretty flowers," and Remus had to prevent a smile from forming.

Too bad that James was under a love spell.

How didn't he realize it? That pink spell seeping into James, and the way that he acted around her even though it wasn't normally how he would act.

And there were only _so_ many antidotes to love potions.

Remus put his head in his hands and groaned. James laughed. "You look funny Remmy. You look funnier on the fu-"

"_Stupefy_," said Peter, and then dropped his wand. "I stupefied Prongs. Oh lord."

"Good job, Wormtail," Remus said dryly. "You've finally cast a spell on Prongs."

Peter beamed. "Amazing, right?"

Remus waved his wand at James and muttered "_Mobilicorpus,_" and did the same to Sirius. Sirius mumbled some more and drooled a bit.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder and he whirled around, accidentally sending Sirius into the girl who was standing there.

"_Oof!_" she cried.

"Oh," Remus said meekly. "Hi Annabel."

Annabel struggled out from underneath Sirius, eyes snapping. "And _what_ was the point of that, may I ask? Did you just decide that it would be fun to whack Sirius into me? More like, important to whack him into my...upper torso?"

Both she and Remus turned red.

"You know what, forget I said that," Annabel said. "I was going to offer if you needed some help. Lily just came from here, muttering words like 'sexy-pants' and 'Ha!' and 'REMUS LUPIN'. So I was wondering...have you been hitting on her?"

There was a little hitch on the last sentence and Remus laughed. "No, James got hit by a love spell by Padfoot."

Annabel groaned. "That boy never learns."

"Which one?" joked Remus. "Yeah, make sure that they don't hit the walls or anything."

Well, Annabel did that just fine for James. However, for Sirius, he kept 'accidentally' hitting walls and smashing his head into doors. When Remus reprimanded Annabel for that, she said, "Oh it's not like he'll be losing any brain cells."

"Right," Remus said, guiding them up the boys staircase. When Annabel followed him, he turned red some more. "Um, you're coming?"

"Yep," Annabel said.

"To the boy's dorm."

"Damn right."

"With me."

"Why not...oh." Annabel turned pink. "Well, you need help." As if to prove her point, Sirius came alive and started fighting in mid air, singing, "Five-hundred bottles of beer on the wall, five hundred bottles of beer...you take one down and pass it around, five hundred bottles of Moony on the wall."

Annabel sniggered.

Remus felt the tips of his ears glow bright red. "PADFOOT! Shut up!"

"Is there something I should know?" Annabel asked.

"No," Remus said crossly. "It's an inside joke."

Annabel winked, even though she looked a little hurt. "I'm sure."

As Sirius bumped up the stairs and sang to four hundred eighty bottles of Moony on the wall, she stunned him and he lay down again. They went into the room and Annabel gaped.

"Remus, ever heard of a..." She poked a toe at the rubbish on the ground. "I don't know, a _floor_? Maybe even a clean one?"

"Nah," Remus said. "We have a clean floor, sometimes, when Prongs wants to impress Lily."

"Lily?" Annabel made a face. "She _comes _up here?"

"No," Remus said, waving his wand and sending James rocketing to his bed. "He _tries_ to make her come up here, and see his clean room but she always refuses saying, 'Potter, the day I come up to your room is the day that I die and you want to bury me' and Prongs..." He frowned suddenly. "Hey, wait a minute, the last time I saw you, you were in the Hospital."

Annabel shrugged, even though she turned pink. "It was just allergies."

"_Just_ allergies? You sure?" Remus asked her. "There wasn't anything in the Great Hall that we didn't have before."

"Just allergies," confirmed Annabel. "I'm going to go to the kitchen and grab something to eat. You coming?"

"I'd better keep watch over these two," Remus said regretfully. "Otherwise who _knows_ what they would do."

Annabel nodded. "Fair enough." She went back down the staircase and was gone, the room peaceful other than a few of Sirius babbling.

* * *

><p>Annabel was worried.<p>

She tried not to show it, of course, and tried to turn her thoughts to the fact that Lily would be going out with James in a few days (hence the notes that Lily and James were passing) and it was nearly Remus' birthday, but she couldn't help but wonder. Remus was right-all she ate that lunch were a few slices of bread with meat and some pumpkin juice, and all she had for dinner were a few bites of a mashed potatoes, and she's _never_ been allergic to mashed potatoes. And other than that she had a few glasses of water and pumpkin juice, a piece of chocolate, solid without any fillings. And a Fizzing Whizbee, but she had them before. Nothing unusual.

Her mind flashed back and she found herself falling to the ground with a stunned stupor.

_Professor Feibe's secretive smile as she handed Annabel the Fizzing Whizbee_.

_The way she handed Annabel a Fizzing Whizbee from the bottom of the pile. _

Annabel found herself on the floor, the coldness of the stone seeping through her clothes and making her shiver. Her hair brushed the floor, collecting dirt, but she hardly paid any attention to that.

_She was poisoned by Professor Feibe_.

She was absolutely certain of it.

_Well_, Annabel thought as she stood up, leaning against the wall for support and holding onto it. _The first thing to do would to go to Dumbledore_.

She hesitated, because, after all, it was _Dumbledore_ she was talking about, and he didn't often need to be bothered by her, but she'd just been poisoned. By a Professor.

Her feet moved her, almost unknowingly, to the gargoyle, where she hesitated. She didn't know the password. "Mintflower_?_" she asked hesitatingly.

"Nope," said the gargoyle. "Dead wrong."

Annabel could have stood there all day guessing the password, but luckily for her Professor McGonagall swept past and stared at her. "Ms. Foster, what _are_ you doing?"

"I'm trying to talk to Professor Dumbledore," Annabel said guiltily.

Daphne Winter walked past the corridor. "Hi Annabel."

"Hey Daphne," Annabel said. "Professor McGonagall, what's the password?"

"Cherry Sweet," said Professor McGonagall. The gargoyle leapt to the side as Professor McGonagall swept off.

"Thanks," Annabel called after her helplessly.

She went up the steps to the door leading to Dumbledore's office. Knocking on it, there was a hollow clang as something in the room fell over and then a lovely high laugh saying, "My dear, I'm _so_ very sorry! I am awfully clumsy..._Reparo_."

Her blood ran cold.

"Come in," Dumbledore said, the door swinging open.

Gray eyes flickered sapphire blue as red lips curved in a smile.

"Ms. Foster," Professor Feibe said. "How _dashing_ to see you."

* * *

><p><em>Dear Diary,<em>

_ Frank talked to me today! AHHHH! Soooo excited and-_

_ ANNABEL'S MISSING!_

_ Damn damn damn...be right back, diary. _

_Love, _

_Alice_

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><p>Noelle raced around the corner and then had an idea. Annabel was friends-ha, yeah right-with Remus! Maybe she was in the dorm!<p>

The idea had only just struck Noelle when she swirled around and headed for the Gryffindor Tower. "Mintflower," she gasped out and the Fat Lady swung open. Several first years giggled nervously as Noelle went up the boy's dorm and she could hear some boys wolf-whistling.

Remus was in the boy's dorm, and he dropped his book when Noelle banged in. "Noelle!" he said. "Do you _have_ to slam open every door you see? It's not required to kill every door, you know."

"Shut up Remus," Noelle said. "Have you seen Annabel?"

Remus said nothing.

"Well?" Noelle demanded.

"You told me to shut up!" Remus said, looking annoyed.

"Shut up! Where's Annabel?"

Remus gave her a pointed look.

"Fine! Speak! Where's Annabel?"

Remus frowned. "She just went to the kitchens. Why?"

"Because she's supposed to be in the Hospital Wing," Noelle explained.

"Oh." Remus turned red.

Noelle sighed and sat down on one of the chairs to rest for a moment. She squealed as two hands grabbed her waist as Sirius pulled her towards him. "Yummy chocolate bear," he babbled in his sleep. "I like chocolate. Nom nom nom."

Noelle turned bright red as Sirius started biting her hair. "Remus, get him _off_ of me before I mutilate him in his sleep," she said, gritting her teeth.

Remus was fighting back a smile. "_Releshio_."

Sirius' arms fell back.

"Thank you!" Noelle said, storming out of the room and slamming the door behind her with such ferocity that the plaster on the wall cracked.

Remus smiled. "You're awake, aren't you."

Sirius grinned. "I like chocolate. Nom nom nom."

* * *

><p>It took her a little while to recover from shock. Annabel swallowed hard. "Professor Feibe!" she said brightly. "What a...um, hello!"<p>

Dumbledore smiled at her from behind his desk. "Ms. Foster. How pleasant to see you. I take that you have something to tell me?"

"Yeah," Annabel said, her mind racing. "I, uh, think that I was allergic to something and I was wondering if there was a spell-"

Professor Feibe's smile broadened. "And you're bothering Albus with that? My dear, I should think that it would be rather prudent to ask one of the teachers." She started to shoo Annabel out the door. "Now go ahead. Shoo!"

Annabel threw one desperate look at Dumbledore and all he did was smile kindly at her.

_"Damn_," she thought, being shoved out of the room and down the stairs and then ran right into Noelle.

_"Double damn_."

Noelle's bright eyes flashed at her angrily. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING OUT OF THE HOSPITAL WING?"

Annabel cringed. "I was bored and I needed to get out of there.

"You're supposed to be RESTING!"

"Shush!" Annabel said, cringing some more.

Noelle sighed. "What am I going to _do_ with you, Anna?"

Annabel shuddered and then a thought appeared in her head. "Look, if it'll make you feel better, I have something to tell you."

Noelle tried to keep a scowl on, but her curiosity won out. "What?"

Annabel grinned. "Lily was passing notes with James."

Noelle rolled her eyes. "So? Maybe he was asking her out and she was yelling at him. That happens all the time."

"Yes," Annabel said, "but I found the notes." She tactfully left out that it was more like she stole them. "And James said that they were to meet in three days. _Three days_. That's the day of the Hogsmeade trip. Also, it's the day before Remus' birthday but whatever. By the way, I'm getting him a box of chocolates and a bunch of Muggle books that I think he'll like. What do you think?"

"I'm sure that he'll like anything you get him," Noelle said mysteriously. "Lily. James. Meeting on Saturday, the day of the Hogsmeade trip."

"Yep!" Annabel clapped her hands. "I'm so incredibly _proud_ of her for overcoming her intense hatred of him!"

Noelle's large gray eyes sparkled. "Sixth year! Their first date! Oh, I'm so _proud _of them. Unfortunately...you still have to go to the Hospital Wing."

Annabel's face fell. "Why?"

"Because you are _still_ not well and..." Noelle's voice felt soft and fuzzy as Annabel saw little purple sparks fly around in front of her eyes, and felt her legs buckling under her. Slowly, she started to collapse.

"_Mobilicorpus_," Noelle sighed. Annabel flew into the air, nearly bashing her head on the stone wall. "Madam Pomfrey's going to kill you, Annabel."

* * *

><p>Madam Pomfrey killed Annabel.<p>

Well, not really, but it certainly felt like it. She gave Annabel a lecture about going out of the Hospital Wing and then gave her instructions, cast a spell to ensure that Annabel wouldn't be doing that again and the fussed over her.

"I don't understand," Madame Pomfrey said. "The potion should have helped you, ejected the allergies from your system. Are you allergic?"

"No," Annabel said sullenly. "I'm fine."

Noelle scoffed. "Hell no."

Annabel gave her a dirty look.

Madame Pomfrey 'accidentally' pinched Annabel's arm while inspecting the veins. "I'd say that you two are being rather bothersome and _stop moving around Ms. Foster unless you want me to accidentally puncture a blood vessel!_"

Annabel stopped moving around and held her arm gingerly.

Madame Pomrey frowned down at her arm. "The blood is fine. I wonder what the matter is. Ah, well, anytime you feel like something is about to happen, drink some of this." She handed Annabel a fizzing, bubbling potion that was bright yellow and tiny. "If you break it, come and get another one. Go and sleep."

"Thanks Madame Pomfrey," Annabel said sarcastically. Madame Pomfrey gave her the evil eye.

As Annabel and Noelle walked out of the Hospital Wing, they walked straight into David, and Annabel hit her head against his with a loud thunk. Noelle stifled a giggle and said, "Annabel! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, sure," Annabel grumbled. "Hello David."

There was a definite note of ice in her voice and David cringed.

Noelle took one look at both of them and started walking away. "Alice and I gotta plan our present for Remus. It's lucky that his birthday is the day after Hogsmeade...maybe I'll get him something while I'm out with Harold. You know who Harold is, right? He asked me out. Don't know if I'll stay with him, though, but that can change..." Her voice trailed off as she whirled around and ran quickly away.

Annabel pursed her lips. "David."

"Annabel." David looked completely awkward. "Hey, um, I never got to apologize for the way that my friends acted around you in lunch. They're not the friendliest bunch."

Annabel inclined her head a fraction of an inch. "Apology accepted. What do you want?"

"I'm sorry!" David said, and then suddenly he looked annoyed. "I'm trying to start a clean slate here, Annabel. Can't you forgive me...really?"

Annabel felt a wave of guilt. She _had_ been acting rather prickish. "I-I-I still don't like your friends," she stuttered, heat rushing to her cheeks. "But hey, starting a clean slate would be fun!" Oh great, now she was starting to babble. "You know...clean slates...let's get some chalk and everything, and then wipe it off-"

David was watching her with a small smile on his face. "Great. So, um, do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?"

Annabel gaped at him.

"Y-yes!" she gasped out. "Sure! No problem! I'd be glad to!"

David stood there awkwardly for a fraction of a second before blurting out, "Yeah! Thanks!"

And then they stood there for a second, Annabel blushing furiously and David looking completely mortified.

And then they both started talking at the same time.

David said, "So should I see you at the Three Broomsticks?"

Annabel said, "So, we meet at the Three Broomsticks?"

And then they turned bright red.

"You go first," David said courteously.

"Thanks," Annabel said cautiously. "Um, so, we should meet at the Three Broomsticks?"

David stared at her for a moment, and then started. "Huh? Oh! Yeah. We should, shouldn't we. So I meet you, right?"

"Yeah," said Annabel. "We, uh, meet."

They stood there for a second, and then David reached out and took Annabel's hand. "Great," he said. "That's awesome."

"Yeah," said Annabel again, feeling truly excited. "That's awesome."

* * *

><p>When Annabel walked into the dorm, two girls pounced on her at once. One was pink haired and the other had dark red hair.<p>

"Well?" Lily asked expectantly.

"What?" Annabel asked innocently.

Noelle scoffed. "You play innocent with us, I'll beat your head in."

Annabel giggled. "Oh, it's nothing."

"Nothing?" Lily demanded. _"David Thomas_ is _nothing_? You do know he's been fancying you for ages!"

Annabel whirled around. "He has?"

"No duh," Noelle said. "Are you blind?"

"She must be," Lily said. "How can someone not know that David Thomas fancies her? He's been goggling at her since the beginning of fifth year!"

Annabel blushed. "Any more people that fancy me I should know of?"

Lily and Noelle shared a look and then Lily said carefully. "None that you should_ know_ of."

"Oh come off of it, you two," Annabel said, laughing. "I should know who fancies me!"

"Not necessarily," Lily said importantly. "Stop changing the subject! What did he tell you?"

Annabel giggled, feeling like she was walking on air. "Oh well, you know. The regular stuff. He told me that he was sorry that his friends were so cold to me—you know, Noelle, Fauna hates me—and then he _asked me to Hogsmeade_."

There was a startled silence. And then Lily gave a squeal so loud that Annabel and Noelle covered their ears and there was a yelp downstairs as a male voice said, "What the hell was _that_?" Lily promptly turned bright red and clapped a hand over her mouth.

Noelle was flushing. "That's awesome, Annabel!"

"Yeah, I know right?" Annabel said happily. "He's really sweet, you know."

"Yeah," said Lily. "He's a good guy. I was partners with him and he was a real _gentleman_."

Noelle suddenly frowned. "But wait. What do you mean Fauna hates you?"

Annabel shrugged. "Well, David asked me to sit with his group of friends and I said yes, right? And then I go over there and he introduces me, and then your friend Fauna turns to me, and then says that she hates me. It's _weird."_

"Yeah," Noelle said. "Weird. Really weird, because normally Fauna's nice. To me, of course...but hey, I'm not the one who's going out with David Thomas."

Annabel leaned back on her pillows, her giddiness draining away slightly. "So _who_ likes me? You guys can tell me. I won't tell anyone."

Lily and Noelle exchanged another look.

"Sorry Anna," Lily said. "If we told, then he'd be mad. Even though he never _told_ us to tell, but he's a nice guy and I don't want him to be mad."

"Damn," Annabel said. "I thought I had you there."

And then she giggled and fell off her bed.

* * *

><p>"Mary Poppins!" Lily crowed the next day.<p>

Annabel and Noelle stared at her.

"Not _again_," Alice sighed. She was more familiar with Muggle films than Annabel and Noelle. "Lily, you are obsessed!"

"Because Mary Poppins is only one of the greatest things ever!"

"I don't agree with that," James said calmly, sitting across from them. "Obviously the greatest thing ever is Star Wars, and always _will_ be."

Lily wrinkled her nose. "That silly sci-fi movie? Mary Poppins is _so_ much better!"

"What's Star Wars?" Noelle asked Annabel, who shrugged.

"It's a new movie that just came out," said Lily importantly. "It's so _awful!"_

"You lie!" James said jokingly. "Star Wars is completely freaking amazing!"

Annabel shrugged. "Never heard of-"

There was a muffled squeal and Annabel turned around just in time to see a fourth year trip on a rucksack and fall to the ground. She was carrying a large glass of water and it smashed on the ground, the water flying onto Alice, Noelle and Annabel. The fourth year started to cry.

"No, no sweetie, it's alright!" Alice said. She couldn't bear to see anyone younger than them start to cry, so she raced over and gave the fourth year a hug and dried both of them off.

"Here," Noelle said, pointing her wand at Annabel. "_Aguamenti_. Oh darn!" A stream of water came out of her wand, soaking Annabel completely. "Wrong spell!"

Annabel sputtered.

Lily tried to dry Annabel off, but the spell hit a glass of water, which exploded onto Annabel.

"Great!" Annabel said, thoroughly annoyed. "I'm sopping wet-" Sirius snickered and she gave him a truly horrific look. "And I don't trust any of you guys!"

Alice gave her a consoling pat on the head and dried her off with a quick spell. There was a slight crackle and then suddenly Lily, Alice, Noelle, James, Peter and Sirius were all laughing their heads off, guffawing practically.

Annabel touched her hair and it crackled.

Grabbing a spoon, she inspected herself. Her brown hair was sticking out everywhere.

"Bludgering bloody _hell_!" Annabel spat. "What the _hell_ have you _done _to me, Alice? Do you hate me or something?"

Alice laughed hard. "I'm sorry! I think I might have messed up part of that spell and-"

"Cute hair, Annabel."

The voice was completely familiar and completely amused.

Annabel flamed bright red.

"Remus!" she squeaked. "What the heck are you doing here?"

"I'm hungry and I want to eat," Remus pointed out. "We _are_ in the Great Hall, you know."

"Right," Annabel said. She suddenly felt very flustered and tried to tug down her crackling hair. "I'm going to go to my dorm and tame my hair." Grabbing her rucksack, she hopped up, ignoring some laughing and teasing as she rushed out of the hall.

To her extreme discomfort, Remus followed her.

"What _are_ you doing?" she asked.

"I'm following you," Remus said simply. "Just to make sure you don't hit your head on a wall and fall down the stairs."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Annabel scoffed, just as they were going up the staircase. Her ankle twisted on the rock and she fell right onto Remus. But no, he didn't catch her. Instead, he went down too, and they landed on the bottom of the staircase. Mercifully, they were only one or two stairs up, but Annabel suddenly found herself facing Remus, hair flying around her head and his eyes blazing into hers with amusement.

"Ugh," Remus said, breaking the mood. "I think I jinxed it."

Annabel was startled to feel that she was _disappointed_. _Don't be silly_, she told herself, standing up and then immediately collapsing again.

"What?" Remus asked, looking alarmed.

Annabel started helplessly laughing.

"What?" asked Remus again.

"I twisted my ankle!" she gasped out.

Remus face palmed. "Bugger."

* * *

><p><strong>For those of you who've read Secrets of a Seventh Year: David is NOT going to be a Toby. At all. No no no. Blake...um...can't say anything for him! Also, I checked and Star Wars was out when they were in Hogwarts, but it was still fairly new.<strong>

**Review?**


	15. Letters to Sweethearts and S'mores

**ZOMG! 100 REVIEWS? (I will never ever EVER say 'zomg' again. NEVER) I love you all. I really really really do. 14 chapters and 100 reviews. Seriously? WOW! Anyway, updates for today: These chapters are getting pretty long. I mean, this one's only 3,477 words, but the official 15th chapter is 5,000 freaking words long. FIVE THOUSAND. My beta, PhoenixFanatic999 is super amazing and picks up all these little fails that I make! So thanks to all of you and don't forget to review! Even if you kill me for this chapter. And there's a bit of L/J in here, just saying. **

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><p>Chapter Fourteen: Letters to Sweethearts and S'mores<p>

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><p><span>Review Replies<span>: **SQUISHY WUVS BEING SQUISHY**: OMG a FINDING NEMO FREAK LIKE ME! I have died a little bit from happiness, just saying...:D Mary Poppins is amazing, and Star Wars is too! Which is why I decided to put them together just a bit...Unfortunately, I have no plans for people with ninja skills, or "ninja skillz" but that's a thought! Thanks for reviewing! **Nizuna Fujieda** I'm glad you liked it! Even though you might kill me for this chapter! I think a LOT of people are going to kill me, just sayingggg. *Sheepish grin* If it made your day, I hope this makes your day too...hopefully! Thanks for reviewing!** HGromanticsap:** For the first part of your review, I have but one thing to say: Who says that she's the one who's going to break up with David? ^^ Of course, she might, but who knows? UPper chest? *blushes slightly* I'm glad you like my perverted jokes, lolz. **ForeverTeamEdward13: **Good chapter? THANKS! HUGS! Here's your shiney new chapter!** Clevernugget:** I'm SO SO SO sorry that you lost all your documents when your computer crashed... : ( Here's a new chapter. I hope it might cheer you up! And star wars is amazing. LUKE I AM YOUR FATHER. **Madman237:** OOH you read the whole story? And you liked it? *pops a bottle of apple cider in happiness* YAHOOOOOOOOOO. Here's the update! Hope it's satisfactory!** Prongsies101:** Don't worry, I'm not planning on giving this up anytime soon. Though my chapters are getting insanely hard to write because they're so LONG! LOL.** Mabel:** The date's in the next chapter. It's not that disastrous, and hopefully not so boring! THanks for reviewing my lovely anonymous friend!** WentToManderleyAgain:** I think I may have sent you a message when you reviewed. I think. Not so sure. :D** Holly:** ROSIE M'LOVE! SO GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU (even though I fancy that you forgot to read the rest, heh. Cookie?** RainbowDust:** Melly dear, you will always have a special place in my heart for being my hundredth reviewer. LOVE YOU MELLY! **L98N** OH YOU LIKE IT OMG (see, no ZOMG heh) You discovered it! I love it when people discover it! It makes me so happy! Here's the new update!

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

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><p>Quote: Actors say they do their own stunts for the integrity of the film, but I did them because they looked like a lot of fun. ~Steve Coogan<p>

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><p>Madam Pomfrey was not very happy to see them back. "Again, Ms. Foster?" she asked disapprovingly. "I do hope that you two are not engaging in...<em>other<em> activities, because you seem to be coming together often. And quite mussed." She eyed Annabel's hair.

If possible, Annabel was turning even brighter red. And Remus was matching her shade.

"No!" Annabel sputtered out. "We're...we're just friends."

A patient in another bed, a girl whose hand was a sickly green, giggled. "Like we haven't heard _that_ excuse before!"

Annabel rolled her eyes. "I sprained my ankle! What's up with the third degree?"

"Well, you do come here often with me..." Remus was still bright red.

"And I've never thanked you, have I?" Annabel threw her arms around him unexpectedly. "Thanks, Remus."

Remus was a bit shell-shocked for a second, and then hugged her back. "Welcome."

_"Ahem_."

Remus let go of Annabel as Madam Pomfrey gave him a pointed look. Annabel hardly seemed to care. Instead, she glared at the medicine in Madam Pomfrey's hand and tried to smooth down her hair with a quick spell. "Do I have to take medicine?"

"Do you breathe?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"Touche, Poppy."

Madam Pomfrey gave her an evil look and Annabel took the medicine. "Mr. Lupin, you may go now." She gave Remus a concerned glance. "Keep in mind that you're coming back in a week."

"Right," Remus said.

"S'mores," Annabel said thoughtfully. "Madam Pomfrey, can I go to the kitchen and get a s'more? I'm having a craving for s'mores. They're just so awesome."

Madam Pomfrey sighed. "No!"

Remus quietly walked out of the room.

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><p><em>Dear Frank,<em>

_ Hello! Just like to say that you looked especially nice today and my heart nearly broke when you talked to that other girl! Um. That didn't go out like I wanted it to..._

Alice crumpled the draft and tossed it into the fire.

_ Guttentag, Frank! Do you like jam? Because I like jam! This is really weird..._

Alice laughed at herself and binned it.

_ Hola Frank! It's me here, and I just want to say..._

Alice turned red. She was really an awful letter writer.

_Hey Frank. _

_ You won't know who I am (probably? Hopefully?) but I just want to say that I fancy you. Yeah. Always have. Never stopped. Never ceased. It's late, so I'm going to make this short and stop it right now. _

_ So Good Night Frank. _

_ Love-_

Alice stared at the letter, feeling a bubble of laughter spring up inside of her and she let go, laughing so loudly that people stared at her. "Look at the crazy girl," they said.

No.

She wouldn't send this to him. She was too chicken.

So she threw the note towards the fireplace and left to go and sleep.

It bounced off the mantel and rolled to a stop on the floor.

In the dead of night, someone picked it up and slipped it into his pocket.

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><p>Annabel was up early the next morning with a mission.<p>

She was to write a letter to her family.

Not exactly the _best_ mission ever, but not her worst. Writing a letter to home meant writing a thick package to her mum and dad, and then a letter to Suzy, who was her absolute best _Muggle_ friend. And that also meant sending a few trinkets or so, sending pictures and giving a detailed description. And she had to do this once a month.

_Hey Mum and Dad! Hogwarts is great! I'm having a lot of fun here. And no, Dad, I have not learned any new riddles. You know I'd tell you if I did! How's the knitting going along, Mom? Finished that afghan yet? Wasn't it taking you a long time last time I saw it? Anyway, I've become friends with the Marauders, the group that James is in. You know James, right? He's the guy that Lily was griping about a long time ago._

Annabel winced as she accidentally tore off part of the paper. "Damn," she muttered and continued writing on the back.

_It's really great here, just like always. Of course, You-Know-Who is being a monstrous rampaging Muggle-killer, but compared to everything else, it's just a blimp on the radar. I'm going to start checking the list of deaths every day starting from now. I've been rather neglectful, I fear. Some people do check every day, but so far no one's burst out into tears. Who knows how long it'll be until they do..._

At this moment she realized how little parchment she had left because of the rip she made. So she just squeezed in a bit more. _Well, lots of love, Annabel _

On the other piece of parchment she had, she wrote her letter to Suzy.

_SUZY! It seems like I haven't seen you for ages...that's right, I haven't. Such an atrocity. Psh. I'm going to miss you sooo much, but hey, we'll see each other in the summer. How's your Doctor Who going? My boarding school is really awesome—I've made friends with some really cute boys. But just as friends. I mean, I can totally say that they are sooo dreamy, but there is that...irksome fact that we're all just friends. There's James, who has black messy hair and hazel eyes. He's in love with one of my friends. There's Sirius, who's a TOTAL womanizer, and there's Peter. I keep forgetting poor Peter's name...Peter something. I think it's Pettigrew. Not so sure though. _

_ Anywho—oh wait! How could I forget him? There's Remus Lupin, who's a total bookworm. He and I were partners for this project in math and it was fun...still, it was math and a total bore, but fun! I guess. Ugh. _

_ I'm going to get you a bunch of chocolates when I go to Hogsmeade and I'll send them with the next letter. Hopefully. If I don't pig out on them. _

_ Bye!_

_ Love, _

_ Annabel._

Annabel stared down at the sheafs of parchment in her hands, almost fully covered with her large script and folded them, sealing it with a bit of wax. It was nearly seven o' clock and people would be getting up soon, so she dressed quickly and started walking to the Owlery.

Annabel was just at the Owlery and when she opened the door, immediately, she covered her ears. "In the Owlery, Sirius? Really?"

Sirius pulled away from the girl he was snogging and gave Annabel a discouraging look. "It's seven in the morning, I thought there wouldn't be anyone here!"

Annabel gave the girl a horrified look. "You're a third year? You're a third year! Sirius, you _pedophile_!"

Sirius turned scarlet and so did the girl. "I am not!" he said indignantly. "She's a third year, yes. But she's fourteen!"

"Pedophile! Pedophile! Siri-kin's a pedophile!" Annabel chanted, suddenly starting to giggle, and then turned to the third year. "You should be lucky that I didn't call Lily on you both."

"You love us far to much for that," Sirius said. "And I am not a pedophile!"

"Oh yes you are!"

There was a quiet cough behind them and Annabel turned around to see David there, looking quite red. "David!" she said. "Do you or do you not agree that Sirius is a pedophile?"

"Can I, uh, skip out of this question?" David asked.

"Sure," Annabel said, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Right."

"I ought to call Remus on you both," Sirius said.

"What?" Annabel asked. "For giving each other a kiss on the cheek? He's in my year! Unlike _you_."

"Yeah, but why're you kissing _him_?"

Annabel gave him a look. "In case the Hogwarts rumor system is broken, David and I are going to Hogsmeade together."

Sirius fell over.

Annabel gave him a kick and coaxed her owl down, tying the letter to it while Sirius rolled around in utter bemusement. After a moment's hesitation, David stepped over Sirius to get his owl as well, attaching a fairly large package to it. His owl bit him and hooted angrily, golden eyes flashing before flying away rather awkwardly.

"You're going...with him?" Sirius asked weakly. His head was now propped up in the third year's lap and she was stroking his hair. Annabel cringed.

"Yes, yes I am," Annabel snapped.

"Remus knows about this, right?"

Annabel shrugged. "Not so sure about that. He didn't mention it or anything, but I assumed that he did."

"_Bugger_," said an annoyed Sirius, lifting his head up and stalking out of the room.

Annabel rolled her eyes. "_Boys_."

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><p>"Mary Poppins!" Lily cried again.<p>

Annabel yelped and dove under the table. "Not this again!"

Annabel could imagine Lily rolling her eyes. "Don't be stupid, Annabel," said Lily, annoyed. "Nothing bad's going to happen today."

"Oh really?" Annabel attempted to sit up and hit her head on the bottom of the table. "Ouch! Nothing bad, huh?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Dear, that was your fault."

"Thanks." Annabel worked her way out from under the table with the assistance of Noelle (who was still pink-haired). "Hey Remus."

Remus stood there for a minute.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked.

It was true. Remus was red, but not with embarrassment, and there was a hint of confusion on his face. "You're going to Hogsmeade with David, aren't you?" he asked Annabel.

"Yeah," Annabel said, thoroughly confused. "Why?"

Remus gave her a funny look. "Okay. Sirius just told me."

"Alright," Annabel said, even more confused. "Okay."

"That's fine," said Remus.

"I know it is," Annabel said.

Remus, beet-red in the face, made his escape.

Annabel turned to Noelle and Lily, both of which were trying to conceal their laughter. "What the hell was that all about?"

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><p>Remus was confused. Even more so than Annabel. Maybe it was because he felt a bit protective over her, like an older-brother protective or...<p>

No! He wouldn't even think about it!

So he bent over his books and then someone cleared her throat.

"All the other seats are full," she said. Remus looked up. Red-brown hair, brown eyes...he knew her from somewhere. "Mind if I sit here?"

Remus checked around the room. It was true; all the other seats were full. "Sure."

"Thanks." The girl sat down and smiled. "I'm Marna by the way."

"Remus," said Remus. "Hey, I feel like I know you from somewhere."

"Because you do," said Marna. "I'm the girl whose best friend was snogged by a drunk Sirius. Not surprised you don't remember me. I'm not...particularly remembered."

"Oh, no, I remember you," Remus said quickly. He did, indeed. "You helped me out when my friends were all...crazy. And you insulted Sirius."

"Sorry about that," Marna said, opening her book quickly and running her finger down the page. "I've never been a huge fan of Sirius Black."

"Oh?" Remus raised an eyebrow. "You've gone out with him?"

"Of course not," said Marna. "Just don't like him." Red stained her cheeks. "He, um, annoys me quite a bit."

Remus chuckled. "I can see that happening. Sirius' a real ladies man."

"Well, so are you," pointed out Marna.

Remus jolted. "Wait-what?"

"Well, you _are_ sort of a ladies man. Always nice to them, always kind and rather adorable..." She giggled rather self-consciously and ruffled his hair. "Anyway, you can't help but realize that you're one of the nicer of the Marauders. James is obsessed with Lily Evans and Sirius...don't get me started on Sirius, but you're nice. _Nice_."

"Oh," Remus said rather faintly.

"In fact, the only thing that girls don't really like about you is that you hardly ask anyone out. I mean, you could have your pick, but you never ask anyone out. But girls still like you. They're debating whether they should open up the Remus Lupin fan club again."

"But they closed that last year!" said Remus, thoroughly horrified.

"See! People like Sirius _love _their fan clubs." Marna shrugged, waving her wand and chanting a spell. When it didn't work, she glared at it. "Stupid magic."

Remus sighed and started to study.

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><p><em>Letters from James to Lily<em>

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><p><strong>Lily-flower! How are you doing? It's absolutely fantastic to see you here! How about a date?-J<strong>

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><p><em>No. -L<em>

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><p><strong>Dear Lily Evans, <strong>

** A Mr. James Potter requests your presence at the Great Hall to escort you to Hogsmeade. He is completely sincere. **

** -Albert Einstein. **

** (Who's Albert Einstein? Can I call you sexy pants?)**

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><p><em>Dear Albert Einstein, <em>

_ A Ms. Lily Evans says, "No, no and no" to your client's _gallant _offer. She gives her uttermost __hatred and says that in a few million years, she might consider it when he's dead and gone. She would like to give her apologies to the fact that he has sullied your name. _

_ -Jane Goodall. _

_ (Shut up, Potter! Go use Nicholas Flamel or something! Albert Einstein is a genius, which you will never be. And hell no, you wanker!)_

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><p><strong>Dear Jane Goodall,<strong>

**It's a pity that your client is being an unforgiving woman because right now, a Mr. James Potter is in possession of a pair of woman undergarments that he nicked from the girls dorm. The woman undergarments have the word "Forever Here" on them. Do they sound familiar, Ms. Jane Goodall?**

**-Albert Einstein**

**(Ha-ha! I am a very deal-conscious person, Lily-flower, so I'll make you a deal. You go out with me and I'll return your clothes.)**

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><p><em>Dear Albert Einstein, <em>

_It's a pity that your customer is a BRA-STEALING WANKER because those undergarments and not, indeed, her favorite pair of undergarments. But Mr. James Potter wouldn't know, would he? Or does he sneak into Lily Evan's room at night to stare at her like a stalker?_

_-Jane Goodall_

_(You absolute arse, Potter! Give me my clothes right now or I'll hex you into oblivion! From my DORM! That might show you not to mess with me or my clothes ever again!)_

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><p><strong>Dear Jane Goodall, <strong>

**My customer, Mr. James Potter is not indeed a bra-stealing wanker. And he knows that your favorite pair of undergarments are at home because you left them there. He is a stalker, and he admits it proudly. **

**-Albert Einstein**

**(Ouch, Lils. No need to hex people. I told you, it's either the deal or nothing. Your pick.)**

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><p><em>Dear Albert Einstein,<em>

_Your customer is a creeper and my client, Ms. Lily Evans, doesn't want anything to do with him. So too bad, Mr. James Potter. Please do not send any more correspondence. Letters will be burned and fed to the fire. _

_-Jane Goodall_

_(You know what Potter? Keep them. You'd look good in them.)_

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><p>James scowled.<p>

"Damn," he said. "That didn't work out like I wanted it to."

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><p>"We are watching Mary Poppins and eating s'mores," Lily announced the next day. Annabel resisted the urge to cast the Protego charm. Her attention was caught by 's'mores'.<p>

"S'MORES!" she cried out.

Lily flushed scarlet. "Honestly, Annabel. You are way too hyped up. We're watching it tomorrow, so it won't clash."

"Aw," Annabel said. "What if my craving's over, then?"

"It won't," Lily said dryly. "I know you, Annabel, and your cravings are never over."

James sidled into the seat next to Annabel. "Hey."

"Where's your cronies?" Lily snarled.

"Sirius' off snogging and Remus' off reading and Peter's off eating," James said casually.

Lily squinted at him. "I never got to ask you...why were you so mad at me a few days ago?"

"Me?" James feigned shock. "I would _never _be angry at you, my Lily dear." He shifted his eyes to the pumpkin juice in his hand.

Annabel rolled her eyes.

Someone sidled into the seat next to Lily. "Hello Foster, Potter, Lily."

Annabel rolled her eyes again. "Blake-whatever-your-last-name-is...get the hell out of here."

"It's Enenon, Anna," Lily said, giggling shyly. "Hi Blake."

Blake kissed her on the cheek. "Hi Lily."

Annabel threw her arms around James when he tried to tackle Blake and in the result, managed to knock both of them to the floor in a very painful collision. This did not help when James fought to be free. "Lemme go!" he shouted. "I wanna kill him!"

"Pe-tri-fi-cus AHH!" Annabel nearly let go of James as he (accidentally, her ass) elbowed her in the stomach and she lost her breath. "James...Potter...STOP THAT RIGHT NOW OR I WILL KICK YOU SO HARD THAT YOU WILL NEVER HAVE CHILDREN EVER!"

James stopped moving.

"_Thank_ you," huffed Annabel. But the moment she got off, James sprung at Blake and there was a muffled swear and Annabel launched herself back at him, landing with a thud on the floor and James howled with pain.

"What now?" Annabel asked, rolling off of him.

"You dislocated my arm!"

Annabel sighed. "_Mobilicorpus_. And let this be a lesson for you, James-whatever-your-middle-name-is-Potter!"

James groaned. "Don't you think I've realized that by now?"

"And I told you! Mary Poppins is cursed! Every time her name is brought up, something bad happens!"

"Yeah yeah, the curse of Mary Poppins."

Annabel tripped.

"See?" she said from the floor. "Cursed."

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><p>"Remus!" Annabel panted, working her way to the sandy-haired boy who was quickly making his escape through the crowd. "Ugh! Remus bloody Lupin!" She reached out and seized his shoulder.<p>

Remus turned around. "_What_?"

"N-nothing," Annabel stammered out. "Just wanted to know if you were mad at me."

"No."

Then he was off again, weaving through the crowd with a sort of panic.

"_Damn_ it Remus!" Annabel shrieked and stalked away.

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><p>"Guess what week is next week?" James crowed.<p>

"What?" Remus asked.

"NATIONAL MARAUDER PRANK WEEK!"

Peter and Remus groaned. Sirius and James cheered.

"You change it every year!" Peter complained. "Last year it was the end of fifth year, third year it was the April Fools week."

"You skipped fourth year, Wormtail," Remus said. "That was an awful one. Christmas time."

"And I have a good one that I want to play on the girls..." James smiled.

Remus' eyes widened.

"We're going to need Puking Potions and a..."

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><p>"MARY POPPINS!" Lily cried, sweeping her wand so that the movie began to play.<p>

Annabel pulled a blanket on her.

After a few seconds, she peeked timidly out. "Huh. Nothing bad happened-"

Alice tripped and her popcorn spilled onto Annabel. "And the first quidditch match is next week! Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff has great beaters."

Annabel spat out a mouthful of popcorn. "I hate you, Mary Poppins."

Noelle tripped over Annabel and dropped her pumpkin juice over both of them.

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><p><em><strong> Dear Alice's Frank Diary,<strong>_

_** She doesn't know that I'm writing in you, but I have a feeling that she will soon. It's Annabel dearrrrr and I want to say...**_

_** YOU-KNOW-WHO IS BACK. **_

_** AND HER NAME IS MARY-POPPINS!**_

_** It's so EASY to realize that! It's soo...TRUE! YOU-KNOW-WHO IS MARY POPPINS AND A GIRL SECRETLY AND THAT IS WHY SHE HAS NO NOSE. **_

_** Ahahahahahahahahaha. **_

_** NOOOO-**_

_ANNABEL FOSTER!_

_ Love, _

_ Alice_

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><p>"SIRIUS BLACK!"<p>

The male's voice rang throughout the Gryffindor Common Room, waking up several people. Sirius Black brandished his wand at Noelle Jonn.

"What's happening now?" Annabel asked. "SIRIUS BLACK GET THAT WAND AWAY FROM MY FRIEND." She gave a tiny gasp as a roil of pain flooded through her.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Anna. Sirius and I accidentally—" he scowled at Noelle, "switched bodies."

Noelle gave a roguish grin. "So as of right now, I'm a girl! Splendid, right?"

The Sirius version of Noelle scowled at the Noelle version of Sirius.

Annabel tried to take out her potion as pains wracked her body, not even hearing what Noelle said. The potion fell out of her hand and shattered on the floor.

"Anna!" Sirius, er, Noelle rushed towards Annabel, his, er, her hands under her head. "What's wrong?"

"It's back!" Annabel cried, eyes opening wide. Although there was nothing there, she could feel herself hurtling through the sky, breaking through a skin. And then overwhelming pain enveloped her and she passed out.

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><p><strong>Okay, recap. The date is in the next chapter, and Remus' birthday is on Sunday, the day AFTER the date, and then it's Marauder Prank Week with a problem: Noelle is Sirius and Sirius is Noelle. And then after Marauder Prank Week is maybe one or two more chapters and then we have Winter. <strong>

**Review?**


	16. Switcheroos and Mad Kisses

**You guys are all really fantastic. In fact, if I had to say which of you all were more fantastic, I wouldn't be able to choose, honestly. I am so grateful to each and every one of you, I really really am! This chapter was written listening to "Snow in August" the score, "Trainwreck" by Demi Lovato and "I'm Only Me When I'm With You" by Taylor Swift. With a smattering of How To Train Your Dragon. Also, I feel like i'm going to get flamed for this chapter.**

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><p>Chapter Fifteen: Switcheroos and Mad Kisses<p>

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><p>Review Replies: <strong>SQUISHY WUVS BEING SQUISHY<strong> ha ha ha ha ha *Evil laugh* this is going make you all mad. Ha ha ha ha ha!** Madman237**: Here's the next chapter! Woo hoo! It-without the author's note-is 6000 words. Oh snap. **ForeverTeamEdward13:** Awh, you guys all rock! No, seriously. Some reviews make me laugh, some make me smile, but most of them make me want to sing and cry like a baby with happiness!** cissyb:** You're new! Yayzies! LOL, yeah, well, I probably WOULD have done that, but I've just started to realize that it was stupid, so...yep, I didn't do it. Perhaps I will...o.o AND WAIT WHO SAID THAT REMMY LIKED ANNABEL? *Shifty eyes* haha, well, this is a Remus/OC story so it's sorta obvious! HUGS!** Mabel:** Heyyyaa Anony friend! ...I haven't updated since when? Oh well. Pssshhawwwww. I am trying to update once a week, though! *ducks the things that she throws at me* Heehee. S'MORES ARE AWESOME!** WentToManderleyAgain:** Em, my lovely friend! That sorta rhymed, what a crime. This is sappy, I'm going to take a nappy. Haha, I suck at rhyming! Chocoholics rule the world! Don't worry, Sirius is only...15? 16? But he's three years older than the third year...and the third year is tiny...so...PEDO. ha ha ha ha. I hope I didn't offend anyone...O.o Thanks for the congrats!** Nizuna Fujieda:** 3 that I make your day. I really do love it! I love making people's days! Here's the update, happy readings!** beba78:** yay you liked it! Woot woot! Yep, it's going to be sooo chaotic...I love making things chaotic. Chaotic things are fun. Chaotic is fun to write...Ooooooh, SPOILERS!** IThinkYouKnowWhoIAm**: I'm sorry my lovely friend/reviewer. If you're from PF or HR, then I probably DO know you, but of now? IThinkIDon'tKnowWhoYouAre.** Clevernugget:** Yay for macbooks! At least you can type up things easier...as for me, I always send my documents to myself or to my beta so I don't lose them. Heehee.** DracoMalfoy69**: *awkward look* 69. what an...odd choice for a number at the end. But I'm so glad you like it! Don't worry, I'm not planning on giving up this story ANY time soon!** Prongsies101**: GAHH I AM UPDATING RIGHT NOW! YAY!BUT YOU ARE TOTALLY GOING TO KILL ME FOR THIS CHAPTER! NOT YAY! Thanks for reviewing!

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

* * *

><p>Quote: I personally think we developed language because of our deep inner need to complain. ~Jane Wagner<p>

* * *

><p>The whole Sirius is Noelle and Noelle is Sirius thing was temporarily put aside as Remus entered the common room. "What happened?" he asked rushing to the unconscious Annabel. "She looks dead."<p>

"She does look dead," Sirius turned Noelle said in agreement.

Remus gave Sirius turned Noelle a confused look.

Sirius turned Noelle rolled her, erm, his, eyes and said, "I'm Padfoot, Moony. We switched bodies when we hexed each other."

"Yes and its all your fault!" Noelle turned Sirius said angrily. "How about this, you call Sirius over there Padfoot and you call me Nelly."

Remus gave "Nelly" a look. "Padfoot, what spell did you exactly use?"

"I, uh, tried to turn her into a boy," said Padfoot, looking embarrassed.

"Yeah, shut up, Sirius!" Nelly said, looking completely annoyed. "I tried to use the protego spell, but it came out as "Protengi!" I have absolutely no idea what happened, but suddenly there was this...sucky, weird feeling."

"I will kill you," swore Remus. "All of this on top of Foster being ill-"

"_Foster_?" Nelly all but shouted. "What happened to Annabel, Remus? Are you mad at her or something?"

"What? No!" Remus weakly defended himself. "Please! I-I just called her Foster once!"

"Shut up!" cried Nelly. It was quite unsettling seeing his Maruader friend glaring at him, even though Remus knew that it wasn't Sirius at all. "I can't believe you called her Foster!"

"What the hell is wrong with calling her Foster?" Padfoot drawled.

Nelly glared at him. "Uh, maybe because he's, uh, supposed to be _friends_ with her! Annabel thought that you were angry at her or something. Are you?

"Good grief, Noelle," Padfoot said. "Shut up, will you?"

"Arse," shouted Nelly.

"Mr. Black, _please_ be quiet!" said Madam Pomfrey.

Nelly's eyes sparkled suddenly.

"Of course Poppy," she said.

Madam Pomfrey looked as if she was going to blow up, but just then Annabel groaned and rolled over.

Nelly was instantly at her side. "Anna? Anna wake up!"

Annabel's eyes fluttered open and her forehead creased.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Sirius?"

* * *

><p>"You are dead!"<p>

Annabel, though barely sitting up in bed, was already glaring at Padfoot. It felt weird, glaring at the shell of Noelle that had Sirius in it, but she dealt with it anyway. "You dare curse my Noelle? I kill you! Well, I kill you once you're in your rightful body!"

"Sheesh," grumbled Padfoot. "You'd think that I was some evil boy or something. All I did was defend myself!"

"Yeah, when you attacked me!" cried Nelly. Then she swore rather violently, earning a glare from Madam Pomfrey. "Anyway, Annabel, are you alright?"

Annabel winced and held her head. "Yeah. I'm just _dandy_."

"Oh good," said Padfoot. "So now I can go?"

Nelly glared at him. "If you weren't in my body, I would _so_ slap you."

Padfoot gave an evil grin. "You know how many pranks I can play in your body, right?"

"Oh hell yeah," snapped Nelly. "And you know how many more I can play in yours."

"Oh, it's on," snarled Padfoot.

* * *

><p><strong>Time: 12:30<strong>

**Date: August 5****th****, 1977**

"By my reckoning, there's nothing better than going to Hogsmeade right after you fainted." Annabel gave David a huge smile and threw her arms around him. "So thanks. It makes me feel a whole lot better."

"Yeah," said a thoughtful David, hugging her back. "You're welcome. I'm glad that you feel better, but anytime you feel faint, just let me know and we'll go and sit down. I have your, uh, medicines and stuff."

Annabel gave another smile. She was still pale and had absolutely no makeup on, but felt radiant. She didn't know why. Maybe it was because it was her favorite weather—windy and sunny at the same time, and the fact that the wind was blowing so hard that her hair whipped around her face. Maybe it was that she was toasty warm and her cheeks were red. But whatever the cause was, she felt amazing.

David gave her a smile as well. "Want to head to Honeydukes?"

"Hell yeah!" cried Annabel. "Chocolate and people. What could be better?"

Apparently, a lot could be better.

The first thing Annabel noticed was that the Marauders were in Honeydukes. Which wasn't so surprising, really, but she gave a start as she remembered that _Noelle_ was Sirius and Sirius Black was among them in his rightful form. And Remus wasn't saying a word.

_Had they gotten back into each others bodies?_ Annabel thought for a moment, and then dismissed the thought as Sirius put his hands on his hips in a very feminine way. _I think it's more likely that they just know that Noelle is Sirius and all that junk_. Really the whole "Noelle is Sirius" and "Sirius is Noelle" was rather distracting, and when she looked back at them, they were gone.

Which wasn't a good sign.

Shaking off her feelings, she headed over to the chocolate section and bought a couple dozen chocolate bars for Remus while David ate a few lollipops in his crazed way. Oh, she adored him in her own little way.

But while they basked in the warmth of Honeydukes...

Something lurked in the corners of the store.

* * *

><p>Sirius was having an awful day.<p>

He was stuck in Noelle's body, firstly, and even though the girl was attractive he wanted his own manly body. Also, boys kept coming up to him and _flirting_ with him, and that was just...

_Creepy_.

"Shit," he muttered as he tripped over Noelle's overly large high heels again. Noelle had explicitly told him that if he ruined her clothes she would kill him by very creative means. So he was taking her for her word.

And he took off her shoes...

And threw them into the garbage can.

"That should do it," he said brightly.

It was strange, being a girl. He couldn't flirt with girls, and snogging them just wouldn't _feel right_, and snogging boys was _out of the freaking question._ Totally inappropriate. And Noelle was so...tiny. She was tall, but so slender that he felt rather ashamed of her body.

"Oh Merlin," he muttered.

Why had he even _come_ to Hogsmeade?

* * *

><p>"I still have to thank you," said Noelle quietly to Remus as James and Peter chattered on in front of them. "You know, for making sure that they don't know that I'm Noelle and everything."<p>

"Welcome," said Remus. "Besides. Now I get to record polite things that Sirius said."

Noelle grinned. "Why my dear Remmy, what a fabulous tie you're wearing."

"What?"

Noelle turned bright red as James and Peter stared at her with a shocked expression.

"You're turning red," said James slowly.

"Yeah?" Noelle tossed her hair. "What about it?"

"Did you just toss your hair?" Peter asked.

Noelle reflexively reached up to touch her hair and then cursed inwardly as she realized that her hair was _very_ short, and therefore could_ not_ be tossed.

Really.

She could be quite stupid sometimes.

_What kind of insane boy tossed his hair_?

"Well..." Noelle said slowly, mind racing, "I discovered that if a boy...tosses...his hair...it makes him far more superbly attractive to a...girl! Yes, it makes him far more attractive! I mean, why wouldn't it?"

James stared at her with a bewildered expression.

Remus saved her. "Oh Padfoot, you've been at the potions again, haven't you? Looking for a special girl, eh?"

"Yes!" said Noelle, trying her best to look drunk. It wasn't so hard.

* * *

><p><strong>Noelle's Guide To Looking Drunk:<strong>

_Number One: You have to look slightly ditzy, pat people on heads. _

_Number Two: Smile foolishly. _

_Number Three: Babble a bit, giggle and snicker and rub your tummy. _

_Number Four: Cast a quick spell to make yourself smell a bit like Firewhiskey and mint. _

_Number Five: Never walk in a straight line._

* * *

><p>So that's what she did.<p>

Peter squeaked, looking terrified as Noelle lurched towards him and then James wrinkled his nose. "You smell, Padfoot!"

"You look like a girl," said Noelle and then gave an inane laugh. "I want to marry that girl."

"What girl?" James asked.

Noelle racked her mind for some particularly trollish girl. "I'm in love with Elena Martenson."

Elena Martenson was sadly known as the ugliest girl in school. Mean, but true. She had thin, stringy hair that riveled Severus' in oiliness and eyes the color of mud and small in her wide flabby face. This wouldn't be so bad, but she was _mean_ and _cruel_. Always jeering, making fun of people and shoving them with her small crocodilic hands. Nobody, not even the Slytherins, liked her. And she particularly despised Alice and went out of her way to bully her.

"_What_?" James asked. "What the hell are you saying, _Sirius_?"

It was a sign that he was calling Sirius 'Sirius' instead of Padfoot that showed that he was really quite _serious_.

"I love her," said Noelle, trying her best to sound infautuated. "She's incredibly beautiful."

"Have you been taking a love potion?" asked Peter.

James snapped his fingers. "That must be it! He's taking a love potion!" With that, he grabbed out a tiny vial and forced it down Noelle's throat.

It tasted _awful_. Like a mixture of juniper and mint with basil and rotting tomatoes. Noelle gagged as she was forced to swallow. "Yuck!" she said. "What was that for...Prongs?" The word felt alien in her mouth.

"Are you in love with Elena Martenson?" Peter asked rather loudly.

"Yes!" sputtered Noelle. "Of course I am!"

"It's the Imperio charm, it must be." Prongs seized Noelle by the shoulder. "THROW IT OFF, PADFOOT! I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS! I KNOW YOU CAN!"

By this time, a lot of people were staring at them.

"Get off of me, Prongs!" sputtered Noelle, shoving James away. "I'm fine! I'm just in love with her. She's such a kind and gentle person and her face...her face is like the moon in the sky."

James and Peter stared, dumbfounded, at her.

Noelle hid her laughter.

* * *

><p>"It's a...uh...curious thing," Lily said to Alice as they walked along to Honeydukes. "I have to go and do..uh..something with Potter."<p>

"Potter?" Alice asked, frowning a bit. "So you're calling off our movie night for _Potter_? This is new." Then a broad smile spread across her face. "Wait. You're going off...in Hogsmeade...until the dark."

"Well, yes," said Lily, rather confused, scratching her head. "Why does everyone make a big deal about it."

"You're going with James..." Alice's eyes widened, and when she saw Noelle walked down the road, she lashed out and grabbed her wrist. "Noelle, I need to talk to you!"

Noelle looked rather surprised. "Wait-no-Alice-"

But Alice dragged on, determinely blathering on while Noelle tried to cut in.

Lily shook her head.

Apparently, everyone had gone mad.

* * *

><p>"Shall we go to the Three Broomsticks?" Annabel asked brightly, tugging David along, who laughed and nodded.<p>

The Three Broomsticks was crowded, like always, with a babble of people. Annabel stifled a grin as she saw two people snogging thoroughly in a booth. It was Clara and that guy, Arthur Weasley. Poor Arthur. Everyone knew that he liked Molly, but Clara sank her claws into him. Anyway, it wasn't as if she was going to go _steady_ with him. It was like a boy a week with her.

Annabel squeezed into a booth and David squeezed in next to her. It was rather cozy that way, piled up next to each other while they ordered a butterbeer and Annabel's stomach fluttered when she felt David take ahold of her hand.

_Merlin_ that guy was smooth.

"So," Annabel said, flushing madly. "Have any siblings I should know of?"

David shook his head. "Nah. I was adopted. Parents died in a freak horse accident."

"Oh." Annabel frowned a little bit. "I'm...sorry."

"Never knew them," said David. "My new parents are awesome, though. Amazing, really."

"Well, I'm glad," said Annabel. "I have to get along with my in-laws, of course."

The minute she said it, she wished it back into her mouth. She and David both flushed a matching shade of scarlet and David blabbered a little bit, looking quite embarassed and a little pleased.

"Right!" he said. "So, um, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Healer," said Annabel promptly. "Nothing better than being a Healer, in my opinion. I'm just not cut out to be an Auror. I'm not exactly _stealthy_, if you get what I mean."

David nodded and Annabel glared at him. "You know, this was the part where you're supposed to tell me that I am the stealthiest person in the world."

"Why?" asked David, eyes sparkling. "You're obviously not."

"I am too!" Just then, Annabel spilled salt on the table. "Oh damn!"

"Yep," said David after watching her uselessly trying to wipe the salt off the table and getting it on her clothes. "You're real inconspicuous."

"No wise-cracks, David." Annabel glared at him.

David grinned and kissed her on the cheek.

There was a pointed cough and Annabel reluctantly turned away from smiling at David to raising her eyebrows at Noelle. "Noelle? Or Sirius?"

"Still Sirius," said Sirius. "Stop snogging. It's disgusting."

"It's a kiss on the cheek." Annabel rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Sirius! It's not a snog!"

"That's what you say," huffed Sirius.

David was looking utterly confused.

"It's a long story that I promise I'll explain to you someday," Annabel said, downing her butterbeer and wiping her mouth. "But let's go to the Shrieking Shack."

* * *

><p>Remus was the slowest of the four Marauders and therefore was lagging quite a bit. As it was, he was staring at the ground and rammed into a girl.<p>

"Sorry!" Remus sputtered. "My bad! I'm so sorry..._Marna_?"

The girl patted down her reddish hair and glared at him. "Thanks for hitting me."

"Sorry!" said Remus again, holding out a hand. Marna glared at it and picked herself up. "Um, okay."

"Right," said Marna. "Thanks a lot."

"So, are you...here with anyone?"

"Nope." Marna tossed her hair. "I refused all offers."

Remus couldn't help the small grin that came out onto his face. "Were there any offers?"

"Yes, there were," Marna said haughtily. "I'm not quite that ugly, in case you haven't noticed."

Remus nodded slowly. The other Marauders noticed that he wasn't with them and were shouting for him to come on, hurry up.

Marna checked her watch and sighed. "You know when you're like, dared to do something by a specific time and you realize that the time is five minutes ago?"

"Um, no," said Remus.

"Well, that's happening to me."

"What's the dare?" asked Remus.

Marna sighed a little bit and then grabbed Remus by the front of his shirt, rising up and kissing him soundly on the mouth.

She kissed him.

She bloody well kissed him.

A sweet, light kiss that was nevertheless a _kiss_.

What. The. Hell.

All those thoughts were racing through Remus' mind as he stared at her. She blushed a little bit and then stood on her tip-toes and kissed him once more, more thoroughly this time, a long lasting kiss before letting him go. He dropped to the ground, candy rolling everywhere.

"That was it," Marna said, referring to the bet, Remus thought, before walking away with a little flick of her hair and a swish of her skirts.

James whistled. "Moony, did that just happen?" he shouted over to Moony, running over with the _biggest_ grin on his face.

"Ye-yeah," said Remus, dumbfounded. "I guess it did."

Behind James, Noelle's eyes widened.

* * *

><p>Annabel stared over at the Shrieking Shack, wrinkling her nose a bit. "It's not quite as exciting as I remembered it in fifth year…" she said slowly.<p>

"No doubt," said David. They were holding hands and Annabel was not quite finished blushing. "I think you remember it as the time that Lily and you went over and actually walked through the house, near the end of fifth year, yeah?"

Annabel stared at him. "And how exactly do you know _that_?"

David turned red and sputtered a bit. "You're not exactly modest, Annabel. You went around school saying, 'Lily and I walked through the Shrieking Shack! And it was so awesome!'"

"Yep," said Annabel, giggling a bit. "And then we got detention."

"Detention is amazing," said David. "If you have it with Hagrid of course."

"I got McGonagall."

"Not so amazing then."

"I wrote _lines_."

"Dear God."

"Oh shut up." Annabel shoved David's shoulder playfully. "You're just being an arse."

David grinned.

They both stared at the creaking, groaning gray Shrieking Shack. The awkward silence grew for a little while and then David blurted out, "So now what?"

Annabel felt her cheeks turning pink. "I think this is the time when you kiss me."

David grinned and then kissed her.

* * *

><p>"How was Hogsmeade?" Lily asked Annabel in the castle. "Hurry up, quick! I have to go talk to Potter."<p>

"Oh, just _dreamy_," said Annabel. "We kissed."

"Good for you!" said Lily, and then gasped. "I'll be late!" Then she rushed off.

"Yes," whispered Annabel. "Late for your date with James."

* * *

><p>Lily reached out and tickled the pear. It giggled and turned into the green handle, which she grabbed and pulled open. The house-elves swarmed her immediately, squeaking out if she needed anything, if she was warm enough, if she would like to meet Mr. James in the kitchen with all the supplies ready and out.<p>

"Sure!" said Lily, shrugging off her coat and her shawl and tying on the apron. "Now where is that James?"

* * *

><p>As James went into the kitchens, he was hit with a blast of hot air with giggling. Turning around, he saw that Lily was talking energetically with a house elf, and then he had to blush. Because Lily was flushed pink from heat and she was wearing an apron that was...form fitting, to say the least.<p>

She looked up and smiled. Wow. This was new. Lily smiling at him.

"So we're calling a temporary truce for Remus," said Lily.

"Temporary," said James, swallowing a bit. "So what cake are we going to make?"

"We," said Lily, "are going to make a triple-deluxe cake with two layers and loads of chocolate. You said it yourself—Remus likes chocolate!"

"Oh yes he does," snickered James. "Even has his own little stash of it, hidden away from us greedy people."

"So, we have loads of chocolate. These house elves are awesome. They seriously are." Lily smiled at the house elves with an expression that made James' stomach twist in jealousy.

"So," said James, rubbing his hands together. "Let's get crackin'!"

* * *

><p>Lily never thought that baking a cake with JAMES POTTER out of all people would be fun. Because really, it was fun.<p>

"Okay, first we sift the flour."

James gave the flower in the corner a doubtful look and then started to sift through the dirt in the flowerpot. "Are you sure this is the correct way?"

Lily giggled. "No, Potter, F-L-O-U-R. Not _flower_. You're like a little kid, did you know that?"

James brushed the dirt off his hands and looked up bashfully, walking to the sink to run his hands with water. "I knew that. I was...just trying to make you laugh."

_Right_, Lily thought, smiling. "Sure," she said.

"Really!" said James, eyes wide. "So, how do you 'sift' flour?"

"Well, you use this contraption—" Lily broke off as James backed away. "Now what?"

"That?" James' eyes were wide again. "But Padfoot told me that that was used for seperating poop from pee."

Lily had three simultaneous thoughts. One: Ew! Two: That was hilarious. Three: That Sirius is going to pay.

"No," she said patiently. Really, she should win an award for being the most patient person in Hogwarts. At least, to her. "That is a sifter. It is _used_ to lighten the flour."

"Why?"

_Merlin_, he was COMPLETELY like a little kid. "Because it makes the cake yummier." Lily spoke as if she would to a toddler. "Yum-yum chocolate cake."

"I'm not stupid, Lily," said James, grinning. "Alright. If the sifter makes the yum-yum chocolate cake yummier, then I will use it."

"Good," said Lily and started beating the egg whites.

Four seconds later, she turned around to the distressed squeaks of the house elves and found that James, who was vigourously sifting the flour, was sifting so hard that flakes of flour were floating down to the immaculately scrubbed floor. Already, it was gathering like snowflakes.

"James!" Lily cried.

"Yes?" James asked, turning to her. The sifted flour flew towards her, settling onto her hair, her clothes, her face.

Lily gaped at him for a second, blowing flour out of her mouth, and James' mouth was open in shock.

And then they both started laughing.

"You-you look like a ghost!" James said, laughing.

Lily wiped the flour away from her face. "And you, sir, don't look any better yourself."

It was true. Flakes of flour were trapped in James' hair.

"Why don't we just use magic then?" Suddenly, James was serious.

"Because that doesn't say 'we care about you!' as much as a homemade cake," said Lily, magicking the flour away from her face and clothes. James did the same to himself.

"Yes, because a totally floury cake says, 'Happy Birthday, Remus'!" James snorted.

There was a tugging at Lily's clothes and she looked down to see a tiny wrinkled house-elf with big blue eyes. "My name Patchy. I is a good cake cook, and I can help!"

"Help..." Lily mused. "You can help, but if we help out, it still has partially the same meaning..."

"Lily, let's just let Patchy help," said James, looking rather lazy.

Lily glared at him and then remembered their truce. And there was something...appealing about just helping, and a house elf could probably cook a damn better chocolate cake than she could so... "Yeah," said Lily. "That'd be nice."

James sat up fast. "Really?"

"Yeah." Lily brushed her hair out of her eyes. "That has its appeal."

_"Really_?" James looked shocked. "You're—you're actually _agreeing_ with me?"

"Yeah, well, why not?" Lily gave him a scowl. "Just because I disagree with you often enough doesn't mean that you're completely imbecilic!"

"Hang on...you don't think I'm stupid!" James' eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas.

"Shut up," said Lily.

"You have a good opinion of me!"

"It's dwindling by the second."

"You love me!"

"Do you want to be killed?"

"If it's by you, oh yes."

Lily tried her best to keep up a scowl, but her traitorous lips twitched slightly. "Let's just get on with the cake."

Patchy showed them the best way to mix the flour (up and down and back around!) and the best way to apply the egg whites (all beaten up, miss!) Under her skillful eye and her easy tips, they managed to get the first layer done and shoved it into the oven, starting to work on the second one.

Patchy showed them that the second layer would have to be a bit smaller and the pan had to be well greased. With a snap of her fingers, the egg that splattered on the ground was torn up and tossed into the trash. James licked the batter off his fingers and Lily glared at him, saying, "Ew, go wash your hands!"

"You know," James said thoughtfully. "This needs some honey."

Patchy and Lily stared at him.

"_Honey_?" Lily asked, looking shocked.

"Sire, that would make the batter unsolidify," said Patchy rather sternly, putting her hands on her hips.

"But it needs honey!" James' eyes widened and he looked somewhere past them. "Look!"

Lily and Patchy swung around. There was a sound of suction and they whirled around to see James busy mixing the glob of honey into the batter.

"Oh Potter!" Lily sighed and put her hand to her forehead. It left a streak of batter. "Now what have you done?"

"Mixing the honey in!"

Patchy scowled. "Can't be helped now! Let's put it in the smaller pan."

And so they did. The golden globs of honey shone tantalizingly—mockingly at Lily and she wrinkled her nose.

When they opened the oven, the homey smell of cake wafted over them. A snap of Patchy's fingers made the other cake rise up and get onto a cooling rack while another snap cleared away all the materials.

"Now we make the chocolate icing!" squeaked Patchy.

"Can we apply it on right now?" Lily asked stupidly.

"No," said Patchy. "It'll melt. We have to let it cool down."

The chocolate icing was quickly assembled and mixed together. Lily was amazed at how much butter went into it, and twice had to prevent James from sticking his fingers in and licking some. By the time they were done, the second cake was out of the oven and cooling, while the first cake was ready to ice.

Patchy did the icing herself, in decorative swirls. The knife swirled and swished effortlessly, and with every passing moment, the cake looked better and better.

The second cake was better looking than the first, to Lily's surprise. The golden globs of honey hardened in drips and made it look like a frozen honey fountain. It was quickly plopped onto the first cake, arranged so that it was perfectly centered and iced.

Then Patchy brought out the chocolate syrup.

"Moony's going to love this!" James said gleefully.

Patchy waved her hand and when she sprayed out the chocolate syrup, a drizzle of caramel came out as well. There was a blast of cool hair and wherever it hit, the caramel, chocolate syrup and chocolate icing froze perfectly in place.

It was done.

"Oh it's gorgeous," Lily sighed clasping her hands together and then having to use some effort to get them apart.

"Mmm..." murmured James. "I can't wait to eat it. Patchy, you'll apparate it to the common room when it's time for the party, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes," said Patchy rather ferociously. "It is nearly time for curfew! Shoo! Go!"

They were hustled out of the kitchen and Lily swore. "Bugger! There's two minutes before curfew! We'll never make it in time."

James, however, was inspecting the wall.

"Why are you staring at the wall?"

James grabbed her hand and tugged her into the wall—

Or more accurately, _through_ the wall.

"What the hell?" shouted Lily before she realized that she hadn't, indeed, smashed through the wall and broken her bones. "What was that?"

James was sauntering through the castle and came to a stop before the Fat Lady. "Just in time for curfew."

Lily gaped at him.

"H-how did you...how did you?"

"It's a shortcut," James said in his way of explanation. "Opens just before curfew and leads to near the Gryffindor tower. Poppycock."

The Fat Lady swung open with an annoyed look. "About time!"

Lily cleaned herself up with a flick of her wand and a muttered spell and then turned to James. She suppressed a smile. "You look like a right nightmare."

James looked down at his dusty, floury, chocolatey clothes and rolled his eyes. "We can't look as perfect as you, Lily."

Lily opened her mouth to retort something back, but then instead blushed bright red and cleaned him off as well. "There. Now we're both perfect."

Without looking back, she ran up the stairs.

She expected to see her friends asleep, or getting ready to sleep, but instead, they were all on her bed. Everyone except for Noelle, who was still Sirius and was sleeping on the floor instead of touching "Noelle's flowery nonsense."

_Her-Lily's-_ bed.

"Hey," said Lily, ruffling her hair. "What's up?"

Annabel gave her a deeply suspicious look. This was rather ruined by the fact that she had her hair in pigtails tied with bright blue ribbons. "You were out with James."

Lily colored. "Well, if you put it _that_ way..."

"So you were!" cried Alice. "You were on a date!"

"With _Prongs_?" Sirius propped himself up. "What the hell were you doing with _Prongs_?"

Lily gave him a strange look before shaking her head. "Right. You're Sirius. Not Noelle."

"Damn right."

"I was not on a date with him!" cried Lily.

"Yes you were!" said Annabel accusingly. "Don't try to cover it up!"

"What proof do you have?"

"Your _notes_."

Annabel brandished the notes like they were precious jewels. Sirius watched from the floor, munching on an apple.

"You _snooped_?" Lily yelped.

"No," said Annabel. "They fell out of the bag."

These words were so unconvincing that Lily rolled her eyes. "I may just kill you, Anna."

"The fact that you called me 'Anna' doesn't exactly fulfill that threat."

Lily gritted her teeth. "Potter and I were NOT on a date!"

"Come on, Lily," Alice said. "You know you can tell us anything."

This was not the correct thing to say. Lily swelled up, and then said in an almost hurt voice, "Why don't you believe me? I'M TELLING THE TRUTH!"

Sirius crunched on his mouthful of apple. "Man, this is better than 'Wands and Dragons.'"

They stared at him, momentarily distracted.

"Sirius, my _grandmother_ watches that," said Alice. "It's a soap!"

Sirius turned the slightest shade of red and cocked an eyebrow. "I'm so manly that I can watch soaps and still be manly."

"Oh shut up," muttered Alice.

Lily bit her lip, eyes flashing. "Look. All I know is that I'm out to do...something with James and suddenly you all are leaping over me!"

"Do _something_?" Alice's eyes sparkled. "You were SNOGGING with him!"

"No!" defended Lily. "I was NOT!"

"Oh yes you were!" cried Annabel.

Lily growled—yes, _growled_. Well, as close as someone could growl when they're a girl and never growled before.

"Look," she said through gritted teeth. "James and I were not doing ANYTHING of a sexual nature—of _any_ sexual nature, really. Do you get that. _Did I make myself clear_?"

Annabel giggled a bit, but then straightened her face and nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"Yeah, sure." Already, Alice looked a bit bored. "Have you seen my diary anywhere?"

Lily swore.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Noelle's List of Things To Do<strong>_

_**1. Kill Sirius Black for taking my body.**_

_**2. Clean up the boy's dorm! It's FILTHY!**_

_**3. Try to keep away from girls that want to snog me. Ugghhhh. **_

_**4. Humiliate Sirius. Big time. **_

_**5. AHHHH ITS A RAT AHHHHH**_

_**6...what do they mean it's Petagrpahg? James just got a pillow in his face by Remus. **_

_**7. There's something going on with the Marauders. And being on the inside...**_

_**8. I intend to find out.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Please don't kill me. Yes, both Annabel and Remus were kissed, by respectively different people. *hides*<strong>

**Oh yeah, and after you review, check out this fic: Oh Mushroom! I'm betaing it, and it's a Remmy/OC! REMUS/OC FOREVER! AND EVER! And Remus/Tonks. **

**NOTE: THis is a canon friendly story. **

**Review?**


	17. Birthday For A Werewolf part one

**A mysterious box appears before the angry mob of reviewers. "What's this?" they ask and open it. Inside is a cloth. Two small white paws appear, and then a long fluffy white tail. The crowd is distracted by the adorable cat plaintively meowing for attention as the authoress rushes to slap an author's note on. A reviewer notices. **

**"There's justawriter33! KILL HER FOR NOT UPDATING!"**

**Yep, I'm not very nice. I don't update for ages and then I don't even put up the whole birthday. Sorry people. But I can promise you...**

_**The next chapter is going to be helluva of fun to write.**_

**Thanks to my amaaaazing beta PhoenixFanatic999 and to my amazing reviewers as well and my amazing Remus/OC centered pal Em (WentToManderleyAgain) who is so amazing and her story Oh Mushroom! is so amazing as well.**

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><p>Chapter Sixteen: Birthday For A Werewolf (Part One)<p>

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><p>Review Replies:<strong> cissyb: <strong>NO THEY WILL NEVER GET TOGETHER MUA HA HA HA HA...joking...hopefully. *winks* You know me (well...I dunno about that) I like to drag on relationships. I just LOVE tension! ha ha ha ha! Loads of love to you for being the first to review chapter 16 heh heh.** Mabel:** *takes the cookie and noms on it* Yum yum!** beba78:** I like to bake, but that cake was entirely from my imagination. I don't even know if it would WORK (but I wish it would!) YOU are Awesome, Incredible, Spectacular, and I'm so glad you liked it!** Nizuna Fujieda:** Keep on swimming, swimming swimming. *Treads water*** Clevernugget:** BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA. "things" HAHA. You made me laugh so hard when you reviewed. A little more L/J in here. I got some complaints about having so many relationships in SSY so that it wasn't very deep, so I'm trying to change that around in here. Heh. Evil professor who wants to eat Remus? *shifty eyes*** sonofafluffymuffin:** I know...sorry...me likes to torture her reviewers. :D You no like? NOOOOOOOOooooOOOOOoooooOOOO...hopefully this chapter will change your mind! **Anita Simons: **Aawwwwwwww... *seizes you in a hug* That should speak enough. :D** L98N** Realistic and funny? YAYZIES! I love your review! ...*shifty eyes* this isn't exactly as SOON as I COULD but...heh heh... *runs*** SQUISHY WUVZ BEING SQUISHY:** Embarrass? PSHAW. heh heh heh heh heh. glad you like this chapter!** BethyXStar:** There are no words to say how I'm feeling. So I give thou, BethyXStar a link: h t t p : / / the crazed cupcake penguin . tumblr . com / post / 9473232313 / to - bethyxstar Just remove the spaces!** WentToManderleyAgain:** LOLLOLOLOLOLLLOLOL LOVED the pretend snippet from Oh Mushroom! (so hilarious) Why you hate David and Marna? O.o Just joking, you can hate them as MUCH as you want like I hate Michael! AND GO WRITE CHAPTER SEVENTEEN BEFORE I HANG YOU...maybe.** Queer King stephen:** Oooooh! Three reviews! Thank you very much! *hugs you and the reviews*** RoksGal251:** Yeah...I didn't know how to end Secrets of a Seventh year. I don't have much practice ending fics. Sorrrryyyy :D How'd you like this ending better? "And then the scene panels away to the picture of Hogwarts, and the rustle of children going to their new home." Bad ending. :D andd...didn't I just do a JSP/OC one? O.o** faeriemaiden96:** OKEE OKEE POKEE! Pokee? What does that even mean? LOL. Here's your update!** HGromanticsap:** How was camp? I have a friend who's in camp. Poor girl. She says its hellish for her. heeerrree's the update!** Laez Nena:** Yesh, emily is a BRILLIANT writer, is she not? And there's going to be a bunch of fun for Noelle and Sirius once the weekend is over. Ha ha ha ha. Calvin guy? Ha ha ha-(runs off to make some changes to chapter 16) Thanks for the review nena!

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

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><p>Quote: I went into a McDonald's yesterday and said "I'd like some fries." The girl at the counter said, "Would you like some fries with that?" ~Jay Leno<p>

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><p>Remus rolled over and stared.<p>

More specifically, he stared at the three empty beds.

"What the...?" he said in thin air, tugging on a shirt and some pants. "Padfoot? Prongs? Wormtail? 'Lo?"

Nobody.

He turned a little red as he remembered (for the millionth time) the kiss that Marna gave him. _She was a good kisser_, he thought for a moment, and then tripped on something.

A box.

With a note on it.

_Dear Moony, _it started off with._ We are currently in possession of your present and therefore, you have to come and find it. Inside the box is a sample of said present. -the rest of the Marauders. _

_ P.S. We've taken the Marauder's Map, so don't bother looking for it. MUA HA HA HA HA. _

_ P.P.S We've taking Sirius in his girl form (still haven't found a cure) and he says in this really high, feminine voice—heh heh heh—that your present is NOT with us even though we just said that we are currently in possession of it. So ha-ha. Figure THAT one out, brainy kid._

"Happy Birthday to me," Remus said to himself, but had to give a half-smile.

Opening the box, he found a page ripped out from a book. To be specific, a book about werewolves_._

_Oh Prongs_.

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><p>"Where is he?" Annabel asked impatiently, pacing in the common room.<p>

Lily rolled her eyes. They were waiting patiently. Noelle (who was still stuck in Sirius' body) had finally explained to the rest of the Marauders that she was actually Noelle. (This caused a lot of shouting and a lot of swearing from James and Peter actually passed out.) They were still trying to find a cure.

There was a weird expression on Noelle's manly face.

"What's up with your face?" Alice asked.

"Thanks," Noelle muttered. "Listen, Annabel, I've gotta tell you something. I saw-"

"Hold that thought," Annabel said quickly as Remus came down. "Remmy!" she said cheerfully. "Happy Birthday!"

"Thanks," said Remus. "I'm heading over to the Room of Requirement."

"No!" said Alice a little too quickly, eyes widening with complete horror. "No! Um. We. Um. Have to take you on a birthday walk!"

"A birthday walk?" Remus asked, rather confused.

"Yes!" chimed in Annabel. "A birthday walk! That will last until sometime this afternoon."

"Alright then," said Remus, smiling a bit. "You sure Prongs didn't put you up to this?"

He knew the answer as soon as it registered in Annabel, Lily and Alice's faces. Annabel looked away, Lily rolled her eyes and said tightly, "No. Stop talking about that prat," but in a very forceful way that didn't sound normal _at all_, and Alice turned bright red and fidgeted.

"Okay. Just thought I'd ask." Remus grinned.

"Pffft," sputtered Lily. "Don't—don't give me that _look_!"

Remus grinned some more.

"Anna, I really do need to tell you something—" Noelle insisted, with a hard look in Remus' direction. Now that Remus thought about it, it wasn't really hard, more like questioning, like she knew something that Annabel didn't.

His blood froze just a little bit.

Only the Marauders knew that Marna kissed him.

The Marauders...and Noelle.

_Damn_, he thought. _This isn't good._

"Noelle," he said and then gave her a pleading look.

Noelle pursed her lips. She was still Sirius, so this looked just awkward.

"What?" Annabel asked, looking completely confused and frustrated. "What are you keeping from me?"

There was an awkward silence.

Alice saved them by throwing her arms around Remus. "Anyway, happy birthday Remmy!"

"Remmy," said Remus, bemused. "Everyone's calling me that now."

Lily grinned at him. She was looking especially pretty today for some reason, Remus noted, and then realized with a jolt that she was wearing makeup. Something that people didn't see very often.

Lily blushed when she realized he was staring. "What?" she asked.

"She's wearing makeup," said Annabel, disgruntled.

"I wonder for who," muttered Alice.

Noelle rolled her eyes.

"Who?" Remus asked. "Prongs?"

"In his dreams," snarled Lily. "No, I just heard a...rumor."

"A rumor that Blake likes it when she wears makeup," grumbled Annabel. "It's all just crap, if you ask me."

"Which we didn't," sputtered Lily.

Annabel hooked her arm through Remus'. Her hair smelled like coconut and he fought the urge to sneeze as it tickled his nose. "C'mon birthday boy," she said lightly. "How old are you turning again?"

"Sixteen," said Remus, bemused. "Like everyone else."

"Sixteen," muttered Annabel. "Damn. I knew we got that card wrong!"

Remus grinned.

"Mary Poppins!" cried out Lily.

Annabel tripped and fell, bringing Remus down with her.

"You'd better run, Lily," muttered Annabel from where her face was buried in Remus' shirt. He felt a hot blush spread on his cheeks. "Because I am going to kill you."

Lily helped Remus up and whispered in his ear, "We put a taboo on the name Mary Poppins that only works on her. MARY POPPINS."

Annabel, who just got up from the floor, fell down again.

"I hate you Lily," she groaned.

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><p>"So, uh, where are we going?" Remus asked, blindly.<p>

He was blind. Lily had tied a dark strip of cloth around his eyes. It was hot and scratchy, but he didn't mind at all. It felt good to know that people cared for him.

"Somewhere," Annabel said mysteriously from his left. He put his hand out to feel where she was, and touched something soft. "Ouch! Remus, you just poked my face!"

"Sorry," said Remus, reaching out gently. This time, he found the top of her head and kept a hold of it. "Better?"

"Not much. Hasn't anyone told you not to pull girls' hair?"

"Oh yeah. Sorry about that too."

"S'lright." With that, Remus felt a hand take ahold of his arm. "No more grabbing into air."

Remus allowed himself to be led off and then nearly tripped over a step. "Thanks a lot, both of you."

"Sorry! We'll try and tell you if there's going to be any more steps!"

He tripped again and someone caught him.

"Remus? Why do you have something tied around your eyes?"

He knew that voice. Distinctly. It was _Marna_.

Fuck.

"Marna!" he said. "Hi."

"Remus," she said, and her voice was either very friendly or very confused. Maybe a bit of both. And a hint of something else. "I haven't seen you since we bumped into each other in Hogsmeade."

If possible, Remus turned the brightest shade of red he ever had before. "Yeah. Um. About that..."

"Just spit it out, Remus."

Remus felt a jolt of courage. It _was_ his birthday, after all. "You know, maybe we should go with each other next Hogsmeade."

He forgot Annabel, Lily, Noelle and Alice were there, and he forgot about the tons of people probably crowding the corridor. All that he knew was that Marna was thinking about an answer, and he wanted one, whether it was a decline or an accept.

"I'd like that," she said finally, and then he felt a kiss being planted on his lips. Then she was gone, the warmth of her breath gone with her. A hand that was on his shoulder loosened and dropped away.

"Anna?" It was Noelle. "Anna, wait!" Then heavy footsteps.

Lily cleared her throat from Remus' left. "We're, um, going to head over to the gardens," she said, her voice a little scratchy.

"What?" Remus asked. "What did I do wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong!" Lily said, and her voice was very convincing, much unlike the scratchiness it was before. "Annabel just had to go somewhere. Boy are there going to be stories about Sirius chasing Annabel."

"But Sirius didn't chase Annabel," Remus said stupidly.

"Yes, but Noelle did and she's still in Sirius' body."

Remus laughed.

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><p>Noelle groaned.<p>

After searching for Annabel for ten minutes, this was what she found.

"Oh Anna," she said a bit sadly.

Annabel looked up guiltily from where she'd been planting kisses with increasing longevity and depth on David. It'd been so long since Noelle saw Annabel snogging someone that she was positively cringing. "What?" Annabel asked. David looked dazed.

"Get a room!" Noelle said.

"Sirius?" David asked, confused.

Noelle had to bite back a sigh. All day, people had been going up to her and asking why she was doing this, doing that, and why she hadn't snogged them (but of course she wasn't about to snog some random girls) and sometimes she thoroughly hated being in Sirius' body. Of course, he probably hated still being in hers.

"Why are you here?" David asked.

Noelle's eyes twinkled again. What a perfect opportunity. "Yeah, what's your problem with that? I can be Sirius, can't I? Ha ha ha ha ha." David and Annabel stared at her. "I'm an arrogant prat and I cheat on girls, and secretly I'm longing for Elena Martenson."

"What?"

David had a completely confused look on his face as Noelle sauntered away casually.

The mood was broken and Annabel slid down on the wall and smoothed down her messed-up hair while David tried to comb his messy hair as well and straighten his shirt. Annabel gave him one last peck on the lips before they walked off.

Annabel tried to control her head, which was not very easy. She just snogged David … well, that made sense, but the question was...

_Why?_

Because she liked him.

Of course she liked him.

He was her freaking boyfriend.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Annabel said, hitting her head against the wall once or twice. She hardly felt the pain, and stumbled through the hall, gathering curious looks like glass gathered dust, but she didn't even care.

But of course, she did care when she tripped into the water fountain.

Splashing in, she brushed off the laughter and instead just walked along and threw herself down into the grass with a sigh of annoyance.

"I...I...what is wrong with me?" She glared down at the grass with a sort of defeat before picking herself up and heading over to the place she knew Remus and Lily would be. And there they were, Lily's dark red hair standing out clearly against the green and leafy background.

Annabel forced a smile on, wiped unshed tears away from her face with the back of her hand and walked towards them.

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><p>James peeked out of the Room of Requirement and raced back to the Gryffindor common room. "Out, shoo, shoo!" he told the younger people. "We're planning a party, so come back later!"<p>

One second year old glared at him and dumped her water on his face.

Sirius doubled over laughing, his long blonde hair flying in his face. Several boys goggled at him and he winced. "I hate being a sexy girl."

Peter laughed.

"There must be a cure..." said James. "I mean, love you and everything, mate, but unfortunately, when you're Noelle, you can't be Padfoot." He gave Sirius a meaningful look. "We have one week."

Sirius nodded. "Gotcha."

They finished making the invitations (with three waves of their wands) and went off to lunch, skillfully avoiding Remus. It wasn't _really_ that hard (he still had something tied around his eyes) but they still managed to, eating at the Slytherin table (it was very fun) and creeping out of the hall without making _too_ much noise. Still, it seemed that Remus turned their way and waved and said, "Hey Padfoot, Prongs and Wormtail, you're making too much noise!" but they were _much_ too suave for that to happen.

Yes, of course they were.

So suave that Sirius tripped over his ridiculously high heels and fell flat on his face.

"Oh shut up," Sirius said, grimacing as James and Wormtail fell over laughing. "That is _it. _I need to find a cure and _fast_."

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><p>Remus laughed when James and Sirius and Peter clattered out of the Great Hall loudly as Lily growled beside him.<p>

"I will kill those two someday," she muttered angrily. "I'm serious."

"No, you're Lily."

"Shut up!" He felt her poke his arm.

Someone sat down beside him and started loudly putting food on his-or-hers plate. Remus knew it was Annabel, from the small sighs she made, and the scent of the perfume she always wore for some strange reason.

"Hi Annabel."

The girl shrieked. "How'd you know it was me?"

"Because … I know you a bit too well."

Annabel sighed again and poked him teasingly. "Guess what?"

"What?" asked Remus blindly.

She clattered a spoon around and then there was a strange sound.

There was something shoved in his mouth, a spoon filled with something sweet. Remus gagged and choked it down.

"They're serving whipped cream for lunch! I love you, House Elves!"

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><p>Alice trotted down the hallway with her books clutched to her chest. In their excitement about Remus' birthday, everyone had forgotten her.<p>

"Except for you, Diary," she muttered, stroking the cover of the diary. It was filled to the bursting with her thoughts and taped with numerous little things that she found, scraps of notes and little paintings she made.

Alice suppressed her tears, fighting them, trying to force them to go back into her head. It wasn't possible, and she wiped her eyes quickly, one pathetic sob coming from her mouth.

"Fuck, Alice, are you _crying_?"

Alice jolted, reddened eyes widening. "Frank!" she said quickly, trying to smooth down her can't-decide-whether-it's-curly-or-straight hair. She'd left the dorm without doing anything special to it. She _would_ have, if she knew that she was going to bump into Frank.

"You are," Frank said, and then his hand came up to wipe away a tear that had dropped without her noticing. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Alice said hastily, pulling away and walking quickly away.

He followed.

She didn't know whether to curse and shriek at him or feel flattered.

"Tell me why you're crying," Frank insisted.

"I'm not crying!" Alice said just as passionately.

"Yes you are!"

"You're damn annoying!" shrieked Alice and then flushed bright red.

Frank's eyebrows arched upward in surprise. "I've never heard you like this," he said, and then his hand—his _damned_ hand—took ahold of hers and traced little circles on it, and he smiled.

HE SMILED.

_You stinking bastard_, Alice thought viciously. _Can't you see what you're DOING to me?_

"I like it," Frank said.

"You like _what_?" asked Alice angrily.

"I like that side of you," Frank replied. "You're so sweet, so kind, so innocent. It's almost scary."

"Me?" yelped Alice. "_Scary_?"

"Yes, you," Frank's hand moved up to her cheek and cupped it. "Very scary."

Suddenly, Alice was very glad that everyone forgot about her.

"Well, I'd hate to tell this to you Mr. Longbottom, but I've never seen this sensitive side of you before." She cocked an eyebrow. "Are you secretly a sweetie at heart?"

"Depends," shot back Frank. "Do you want to see this side more often?"

"I don't mind it," said Alice airily. "Gives me a chance to get to know you better since you broke up with your girlfriend." She picked up his other hand, which was clenched, and smoothed it shut. His fingers were large and callused.

"She was too clingy," said Frank. "You're not like that, are you?"

She-_what_?

"WHAT?"

Alice dropped his hand like it was a hot fire.

"What?" Frank asked, his face betraying complete confusion. "What did I say?"

"_You're not like that, are you_?" Alice mimicked.

"So?"

Alice couldn't really say why this annoyed her. It was...complicated, and had to deal with the last boyfriend she had (which was in fourth year) and therefore, comparison was not a good subject with her.

_Stop that_, she told herself._ You're acting like a toddler, throwing a tantrum because you got an __oatmeal cookie, not a chocolate chip_.

But she was all fired up. "Don't compare me to anyone," she snarled and stormed away.

Alice had barely taken five steps before Frank seized her by the shoulder and planted a kiss on her lips, short and hard. "There," he said. "Think of me when you sleep."

It was Alice's turn to be completely confused (and a little delighted, she couldn't deny that) and as _Frank_ walked away, she walked to the bench. She needed to sit down, or she would fall.

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><p><strong>Annabel's Tips and Tricks to Faking Happiness. <strong>

** One: **Welcome! I'm assuming that you just heard some really bad news: (your boyfriend's been cheating on you with your best friend, your rabbit got kidney disease, etc.) and people are asking you, "What's wrong?" Attention is good. Attention makes you feel better. But when you're trying to pretend nothing is wrong, attention does NOT work. Therefore you have to be a skilled actor! This can be used by pretending to be sad, which is SO much easier. So step number one: become a skilled actor in facial expressions.

** Two**: It's one thing to practice in front of a mirror, it's another to be in real life. Example: you're pretending to be sad, but then someone tells a funny joke and you can't help but crack up. In that case, I suggest thinking about the saddest thing that ever happened to you in your life (and no, that does not mean the time you chipped your nail polish) and it works! It really does! Meditating helps as well. Step number two: Go out and practice being sad.

** Three:**Now you've gotten to the stage where you can actually pretend to be happy. YAY! The main reason that people can't stop being sad is because they're all "That cup reminds me of the time my rabbit was big enough to fit in a cup" and you've GOT to stop comparing things to things. Distract yourself. Write a crap poem. Watch a movie that's guarentee to make you cheer up. Not Marie Popins (sorry, if I write the whole thing, something bad will happen to me) though—

** Three Continued: **Sorry. Just fell off the chair. Shut up. So, step number three: Distract yourself.

** Four: **This one's a very simple step. Never—and I mean NEVER—ever tell anyone that you're sad, or the reason you're sad.

Now you're all set! Good luck!

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><p>Remus groaned. "Lily? STOP MAKING ME TRIP!"<p>

"Oh yeah, sorry," said Lily's sheepish voice. "I'm not perfect!"

"To James you are."

Instead of the indignant huff that he expected with the customary "Potter? Ha!" there was an awkward silence as Lily guided him around obstacles and then she said, "I'm still not perfect."

_Progress_, Remus thought with a grin.

"Hey, is Annabel okay?"

He thought that he could feel Lily's tenseness through her hold on his arm.

"What about Annabel?" Lily asked slowly.

"Well, she seemed sort of mad," Remus said. "Is she alright? Everything going alright with David?"

"David. Right." Lily coughed. "Well. She likes him a fair bit better than she liked Calvin."

"Calvin?"

"Yeah, Calvin. They were set to go on a Hogsmeade date together but then decided not to by mutual agreement."

"You're straying off subject." Remus reached up to touch his blindfold, wishing he could just rip it off.

"Annabel is … possibly going through a tough time … look, I don't know!"

"But aren't you guys like two peas in a pod?"

"We don't tell each other everything." There was something strange in Lily's voice, something that Remus couldn't quite place.

"But surely you must know," persisted Remus.

"It's … it's none of my business!"

The strange note in Lily's voice intensified and Remus scratched his head. "But I'm the birthday boy," he wheedled. "Don't I get to know a bit about my friend, Annabel? Annabel's lovely, gorgeous and amazing, yadda yadda yadda … but she doesn't show her feelings. Don't _you_ want to know what's going inside her head?"

"No," said Annabel from where she was beside Lily. "No, none of you should. Because if you did, you'd all be dead. Lovely, gorgeous and amazing. I'm glad you think so." There were quick footsteps away and then the distant sound of a sob.

Remus winced.

"Now you've done it," Lily said disapprovingly.

"What did I say that was so wrong?" Remus asked.

"You—you didn't do anything _wrong_ Remus," Lily said. "It's just that …" Her hair whipped against his face as she turned her head around. The sunshine shone onto them and he realized that now they were alone. "Well … Noelle told me that Annabel just went up randomly to her and asked, 'Am I pretty?'"

"What did Noelle say?" Remus asked.

"Noelle, being my idiotic but lovable best friend, didn't know what to say and just said yes."

"So Annabel's worried that she's not pretty," Remus said slowly.

"Uh-huh."

"Women."

"Hey!"

Remus laughed as Lily hit him.

"Oh look!" Lily said suddenly. "We've got to go to the common room!"

"Wait-what-why?"

Lily gave a very feminine giggle. "You'll see."

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><p><strong>Don't kill me. Please. <strong>

**Review?**


	18. Birthday For A Werewolf part two

**Hello again! *waves* I got through this in a record time of four days! *bows to cheering* LOL. Anyway, have a feeling that most of you will be killing me (or hugging me) for this chapter. Ha-ha-ha. Thanks for reviewing (unless you didn't review) and have fun reading! Also, this was written listening to "My Immortal" by Evanescence multiple times.**

**Edit: I HATE MY COMPUTER! I finished all the review replies and then my internet crashed, which means that I had to redo all of it! BLECHHHH!**

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><p>Chapter Seventeen: Birthday For A Werewolf (Part Two)<p>

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><p>Review Replies:<strong> forestreject<strong>: Yes, of course. But who would beat a poor, _defenseless_ old woman? :deadpans a look at reviewer: Haha, thanks for the review! Yeah, I wanted to put a little Alice/Frank moment in there, even though I hear that they get together fairly quickly. Hee-hee-hee. **beba78:** There is actually a quite hilarious fanfiction that's Lily/James, and I think it's just knee-slapping (Note to self: I WILL NEVER SAY KNEE-SLAPPING again) h t t p : / / w w w . fanfiction . net / s / 2853609 / 1 / Love _ is _ blind -that's the link! Have fun reading! Thanks for the review!** LaeZ Nena:** Hahahaha. Remus is...not smart for asking Marna out to Hogsmeade. BWA HA HA HA HA LOLZ. *gives the white kitty to Laez Nena* There you go!** PrincessShannon1498:** *claps hands* Yay! I love new readers! they're so much fun to say hi to! Yepppp, drama's my specialty, but I prefer to think that humor is what I'm truly good at. Mua ha ha ha!** BethyXStar: **Oh my Remmy. He's a dear dunderhead when it comes to girls. Alice and Frank are probably one of my favorite pairings, but I oftentimes don't find REALLY good fanfictions about them, so I like reading about them as a secondary character. Your review made my day, again!** L98N:** ...glad you like the story, i really am, but where on earth did you get Curse of the Mary Sue?** meghan0095:** Sorry that this isn't reallly really soon, but hey, at least I updated! :D** zizzie: ** Come here, you. *grabs you in a hug*** Nizuna Fujieda:** I'mmmm updating! Hey, at least I didn't make you all wait a few months and then put a super long chapter. No, really. I was contemplating that. :D LIke, a twelve-thousand word chapter. Yep, I'm barking mad. **HGromanticsap:** Ooh! I have a friend who reaally likes to sing. Though she mainly sings taylor swift songs. Was that just a regular camp, or a singing camp...?** WentToManderleyAgain:** Mary Poppins is the second-best Julie Andrews movie there is or ever was. End of conversation. :D Luv ya, Em!** love1398:** MABEL! I'm soooo glad you found your FF password! Good for ya!** cissyb:** Haha, well, let's just say there's a reason that this is a Remus/OC story. Of course, it could easily be Remus/Marna...food for thought!** Queer King stephen:** I'm so sorry for making you wait! I know how awful it is to wait for someone to update (COUGH commentarius COUGH) and I hope this chapter makes up for it! **Madman237: **_AHHHHHHH STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE VANILLA CAKE! _*throws a million chapters of BD at you and starts nomming on cake) Dude, I love you!

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

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><p>Quote: When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears; When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears ~My Immortal, Evanescence<p>

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><p>"Is he coming?"<p>

"He'd better be coming!"

"COOKIE!"

"Prongs what the hell is wrong with you?"

All of the common room was buzzing, as the first years tried to surreptitiously slip cookies into their pockets and the sixth years giggled in anticipation for Remus' birthday. Some people simply didn't care and only wanted the free food.

"Is the cake here yet?" James asked eagerly.

"No, it still isn't," snapped Peter. "You've been saying that for ages!"

"Asking, my dear Wormtail, not saying," said Sirius.

"Shh!" The girl that James asked (bribed? Paid? Hired?) to keep a lookout for Lily and Remus came in with Annabel in her tow. "They're coming!"

"Annabel are you al-"

The door creaked open.

"SURPRISE!"

Lily ripped off Remus' blindfold and Remus cried out a little as the light hit his eyes. "Merlin's beard!" he cried, falling to his knees. "My eyes _burn_!"

Noelle glared at the lot of them and blew out some of the candles, dimming the light considerably. "Stupid."

People gave a mixed response of laughter and awkward silence as Remus rubbed his eyes.

"Um, let's try this again people," James said.

"Surprise!" Annabel said cheerily. It was at odds with her reddened eyes and the way she was blinking rapidly.

"SURPRISE!" everyone chimed in happily.

"Thanks," Remus said, still blinking away the brightness. "Sheesh."

Nervous giggles.

"I mean-uh-this is really-uh-_ouch_-great and everything-damnation-and this is the best birthday ever! OW!" Remus banged his knee against the table. "Shit!"

James glared at Sirius. "Uh-huh. 'The blindfold can't fail, Prongs'!"

"Was that an imitation of my voice?" Noelle asked disbelievingly.

Sirius snickered.

"Let's just eat," Lily giggled.

As everyone rushed to the food, Remus limped his way over to the Marauders and then tackled them, putting James into a headlock and rubbing Peter's head affectionately. "So that's what you were doing?"

"Yep!" Sirius said and then backed away when Remus started towards him. "Still a girl here."

"And don't you dare tackle me, birthday boy," warned Noelle. "I am Sirius Black with all the unfairness of a girl. I pinch. I cat-fight. I turn into a wolf once a month and rampage the village." The side of her mouth curled up a little bit as Remus looked petrified. "Just kidding."

"_Fuck_, Noelle!" Sirius grabbed Noelle's arm and dragged her to the side. "What do you know?"

"I don't know anything," Noelle said calmly. "Now it is Remus' birthday and I would like you to _let go_."

Sirius let go.

"Thank you," said Noelle. "And by the way, if I _did_ know something, or had a hunch about something and said so, then let's just say that you confirmed it."

And then she walked away while Sirius cursed her under his breath, that awful girl who _knows_, and he has to find out why.

But there's an easy way for that to happen.

All he has to do is become Sirius again.

* * *

><p>Remus walked around the Common Room feeling positively delighted in a warm, homey way. It felt <em>good<em> to see all these people who cared about him hopefully, when he saw Annabel and some of his happiness evaporated.

She managed a trembly smile. "Remus. Happy Birthday."

"Annabel, what's wrong?"

Annabel forced a bigger smile. "Nothing's wrong!" she said through clenched teeth. "Everything's just _beautiful_. I mean, it's your birthday! Which reminds me...LILY EVANS WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SING IT?"

"SING THE SONG? YEAH, IN A FEW MINUTES," hollered a certain red-haired girl that was flirting with Blake (and looking stunningly lovely with make-up on while doing so). James was glaring at both of them. If looks could kill, they would be lower than hell. Well, Blake would be. Remus wasn't so sure about Lily.

"Annabel." Remus wasn't fooled by Annabel's abrupt change of the subject. "What's wrong?"

"Teenage hormones," Annabel said, smiling as Remus flailed for an answer. "My body is changing and that brings certain changes as well in my emotions." She flounced away as Remus floundered.

_Dangerous game Anna's playing_, Remus thought dryly, finally recovering though his cheeks were still a dark, almost dangerously hot pink, and he felt immensely hot, so he removed his jacket.

"Interesting scars you've got," Noelle whispered to him, her black eyes—Sirius' black eyes—glinting from her face. "Very interesting." For a moment her form flickered—even though Remus knew that wasn't even _possible—_and Noelle in her proper (and very girly) form traced long thin fingers with red nail polish on them. His scars tingled.

"Noelle..." Sirius said warningly and Remus jerked. Sirius was in his proper form as well.

As Noelle blinked in surprise, they swapped forms again. "DAMN you Sirius!" she shouted. "I was nearly Noelle again!"

"Don't bother Moony!"

"Oh look the cake's coming!" Annabel said hurriedly, appearing behind the glaring couple. Remus turned and saw this mountain of a gorgeous (gorgeously CHOCOLATE) cake appearing from the common room, protecting by a glaring phalanx of house-elves bearing it.

"Merlin," Remus whispered, eyes wide.

"You like it?" James said, beaming. "Lily and I made it for you." He leaned forward and whispered, "Mate, we should have your birthday every month."

Remus didn't answer. He was still staring at that marvelous cake. All that chocolate.

Chocolate.

Dripping everywhere, with caramel swirls.

Yum.

"I take that you like it," James said as Remus nearly started drooling.

"Mmmm..." someone started humming the Happy Birthday song and Remus was surprised to see that it was Alice, face golden with the light of the sixteen candles set on the cake. "Happy birthday to you..."

Everyone joined in.

"Happy birthday to you..."

It was his birthday. Remus smiled as he crossed the room to the cake. It was nearly as large as his torso.

"Happy birthday our Remmy..."

Remmy? Dear god, he _had_ to get rid of that nickname.

"_HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU—and make a million wishes ha-ha-ha-ha_."

He was fairly sure that that wasn't supposed to be part of the song, but he simply didn't care, leaning down and blowing out the candles with four quick puffs. There was a cheer and several girls pecked him on the cheek—Lily being one of them. James leaned forward to get _his_ cheek kissed, and Lily gave him an annoyed look.

"Let's just get to the cake slicing, shall we?" Sirius asked, eyes glistening with joy as he looked at the cake. His tongue darted out and licked his lips. In the background, several girls giggled.

"Yes, can we?" Remus asked fervently.

"Looks like Moony's found his new love," James snickered. "That chocolate cake."

As a girl sliced out chunks and handed them out, Remus dug into his with an eager fervor. It was delicious, with drips of honey. "Mm. The honey gives it the perfect touch."

James gave Lily a smirk. Lily rolled her eyes and huffed, but Remus could see a trace of a smile in her exasperation. "Whatever, Potter."

As people ate the cake, a short silence fell over the common room as people enjoyed it. Chatter was soft and people laughed together. There was a warm feeling about it, punctuated with the crackles of the fireplace.

For Remus, it was one of the best birthdays he'd had, and every now and then he would smile at the Marauders, smile at Lily and Alice, smile at Noelle and Marna (how'd she get here?) and then Annabel, who didn't even see him.

Happy birthday to him.

He didn't even need presents to make it the best birthday, but as for now—

"OI MOONY! IT'S TIME TO OPEN YOUR PRESENTS."

Presents were welcomed. Aren't they always?

* * *

><p>Annabel stared down at the chocolate cake, feeling her stomach roil in that familiar twisting feeling. Quickly, she uncapped Madam Pomfrey's potion and gulped it down, feeling it settle. Her cake slid to the floor and she cursed. The rest of the cake was already devoured by the Gryffindors, a smattering of Ravenclaws and even less Hufflepuffs. There were no Slytherins in sight.<p>

"OI MOONY! IT'S TIME TO OPEN YOUR PRESENTS."

Annabel watched as a mound of presents waist-high found its way to Remus. She could tell, he was completely shocked at how tall it was. His mouth gaped open a tiny bit and his eyes widened, and he tapped his left foot.

When he's shocked he always taps his left foot.

Annabel massaged her forehead.

_Since when did she learn to read Remus so well_?

**A powerful desire...werewolf blood**_**...**_

Annabel reeled.

**Blue eyes...golden hair...a name like a false diamond.**

"_Oh_."

Annabel found herself clenching the sides of her armchair in an attempt to steady herself, and nearly cried out, a tear forcing its way out of her eye and trickling down her cheek. She wiped it away.

She was an emotional wreck.

**Kissing a man that could be her twin. **

** Not love. **

** Never love.**

Annabel let a trembly whimper escape her lips.

"There you are, Anna!" Lily was all full of giggles and sighs when she bounced up to Annabel. "Isn't this just marvelous?"

Annabel quickly pasted on a smile, feeling the strange thoughts leave her mind as Lily distracted her. "Lily! Yes, it is!" There was a roar from the crowd as Remus unwrapped a long furry cloak. He laughed and put it on.

"Are you alright?" Lily's grin faded a little bit.

"Yeah," said Annabel, smiling.

Lily unexpectedly reached out and grabbed Annabel into a hug. "You're my best friend, you know that, right?"

"Yeah," Annabel said again.

"And I'd be depressed if you ever committed suicide?"

"Yeah—wait WHAT?"

"Just saying!" Lily gave Annabel a cheeky smirk as Annabel glared at her.

"Since when did I ever give any sign of committing suicide—Lily? LILY EVANS!" Annabel collapsed back into her chair with an angry huff, accidentally biting her tongue. "Ouch!"

There was a cheer as Remus unwrapped the last present, and Annabel realized that he had already unwrapped hers. In fact, the book that she gave him was on his lap, but he was laughing at Sirius' gift—a statuette of a werewolf.

The party went on for another ten minutes, and it just got wilder and wilder. There was an irritating alarm as a couple tried to get up the girls staircase while snogging—which most _emphatically_ did not work—and it was a very painful collision as they ended up on the the floor in a crumpled heap.

"Oi!" James said. "Use the boy's dorm, will you?"

"James!" Annabel tsked. James gave her a surprised look and she realized that her voice was all scratchy. "Don't give them _ideas_."

"Right," James said, looking still surprised and nearly bumping into a pretty fourth year. Annabel saw her run her hand over James' chest and James edged away, slightly frightened. He looked towards Lily and his eyes darkened as he saw that she was giggling with Blake.

"You know what we should do? Truth or Dare!" Sirius (in his Noelle form) brandished a pack of Firewhiskey.

"What? WHAT?" Lily scrambled away from Blake. "No! NO! OVER MY DEAD BODY!"

"Oh come on Lils," Sirius pleaded. "Its just a little bit of Firewhiskey. We're going to put a cup or two in butterbeer, that's all!"

"_There are first years here_," Lily growled, her eyes dangerously bright.

"So?" Sirius shrugged. "They can join the party!"

"_SIRIUS BLACK!_"

"Please?" pleaded James.

Annabel joined James' side. "It _is_ Remus' birthday," she said carefully. "So what does Remus have to say?"

She avoided Remus' eyes.

"Well," Remus said, and she could feel his gaze on her—she really could—and then his gaze turned to Lily. "It is a party."

Lily gave Remus a glare.

"Come on Lily," Noelle said. "Its just a shot of tainted butterbeer for every question they answer. Nothing huge."

"No way," said Lily. "_No bloody way._"

"There _are _first years here," Alice said sweetly. "But they do deserve a bit of fun."

"But Noelle and Sirius should probably stay out of this," Annabel said.

"What? Why?" Sirius whined.

"Maybe because you'll get so drunk that you'll go and snog a couple of boys or girls," Annabel retorted. "Same for Noelle."

Noelle grumbled. "What if I just drink a little bit?"

"Yeah, same for me!" Sirius said innocently.

Annabel eyed them both with their oh-so-sweet looks. "Fine," she said. "But I am not responsible for whatever happens, and _don't_ come whining to me."

"Yeah," Lily joined in. "Wait, Annabel, you're not joining?"

Annabel gave a sad little smile. "Too many secrets."

Before they could question her on what that meant, she said loudly, "And you will NOT start this game until every first, second, third or fourth—for Merlin's sake—are in their beds or in their dorms or whatever."

"_Whaaat_?" whimpered James.

"You heard her," Lily said.

"Hate you all," Sirius said.

Annabel smiled and turned to have her path blocked by Remus, who seemed suddenly very forbidding. His arms were crossed, brown eyes dark and she swallowed. The picture of forbidding, scary, etc., was rather destroyed by the festive 'Party Naked' hat that was on his head.

"Annabel..." he said.

"Remus," she said quickly, giving him a bright smile. He smelled of wood and chocolate. Then she brushed past him to her comfy armchair, where she stared at the fire again.

The memories returned.

**A million wings, fluttering against her cheek until she plucked one off. The butterfly fell to the floor, and she killed it. **_**Grind the wings and powder them**_**, she told herself. **_**Forever beautiful. Forever for the Dark Lord**_**. **

Annabel couldn't help herself—she was curious—and so she turned back to the memories with an almost frantic desire to know what happens next. The Dark Lord. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. And no, it was not Mary Poppins.

**Skin against skin, he tasted of warmth and she felt repulsed by his...warmth, and she wanted cold, cold to chill her skin, and she touched his bare shoulder, and the warmth was leached out, leaving him shivering. **

Annabel blushed bright red.

**She punched the mirror and collapsed, red blood running down her arm even though she quickly uttered that healing spell. So loud was her cry that Charles came running, and he gasped aloud at the redness, wiping it away. He was so tender, it made her want to sob dryly for his passion for her although she had none for him. **

_ENOUGH!_

Annabel cried this mentally, shattering the memory into a million pieces.

_What the fuck was happening to her?_

_ Where are all these memories coming from?_

Slowly, she cracked her eyes open. The fire, with all its specters of light, had died down to ashes and when she looked around, she saw Lily on the staircase, nearly half asleep, and realized that the Truth or Dare had begun.

Had she fallen asleep? It didn't feel like she had. More like a dreamlike state.

"James. Truth or Dare?"

James took a moment to knock back the swig of butterbeer, his eyes glowing with a drunken light. "Truth."

"What is the most romantic thing you did to Lily? And no, I didn't mean sex."

"I once thought that it would be fun to do a reenactment of this Muggle show to Lily. Basically, I magically built a balcony on her terrace and cried out her name. When I saw her, I cried out the lines in front of the whole school, and she cursed my shirt off and covered me in snow. When they got me out, I was blue."

"Not to mention you were also sprouting tentacles," Lily called out to him, punctuated with a huge yawn. In a moment, she was fast asleep.

There was a clinking and then Annabel realized, half-asleep, that the butterbeer was replaced...but with what?

The questions got more raucous.

"First shag?"

"Fourth year, Amelia Bones."

Laughter. Loads of it.

"First time you all got to second base?"

"Hate to say it," said some Hufflepuff chick, "but with Sirius Black. We nearly shagged but then McGonagall caught us."

More laughter.

"What a sight," muttered Remus.

_Firewhiskey._

_They were using Firewhiskey_.

The thought was enough to propel Annabel out of her seat in a flash. She caught the sight of people turning, shocked.

"Annabel?" James asked in a drunken slur, and then continued playing until all of them were truth-or-daring again.

"You-you're all drunk—" Annabel yawned hugely and nearly fell.

Remus was suddenly there, the scent of Firewhiskey on his breath. "Here, let's get you to the girl's staircase."

The truth-or-dare people weren't even paying attention to them, laughing at something Sirius just said. Two people started making out and they were all staring at those two people and giggling, and then three couples were kissing. James passed out, and then Noelle and Sirius followed after.

Annabel noticed all of this in the time it took for her to cross the Common Room in her sleep-slurred mind, and then they were in front of Lily.

"Annabeelll?" Remus was nearly passing out himself. "Wait for a moment."

Annabel paused for just a moment. "Yeah?"

"I need to tell you sumfing." His 'something' was muffled.

"Yeah?"

"Come closer." His voice sounded like "Come closah."

Annabel went off the stairs. "Yeah? What is it Remus?"

"Closer."

Annabel obligingly took another step forward.

"Not close enougggghhh..." Annabel was suddenly muffled against his shirt as Remus yanked her forward. Marna wasn't there, she noticed, probably in the Ravenclaw tower already.

"Remus! You're hurtin-Mmm..."

The last sentence was broken off when Remus kissed her.

Kissed her.

Remus was...

...kissing _her_.

Really thoroughly.

Annabel tasted firewhiskey and chocolate as he kissed her, and her eyes shut, hands twining up to his hair. She wasn't thinking straight—and she chided herself for being so incredibly stupid—and she, Annabel, was half-asleep.

He made a noise against her mouth and that's what really brought her back, and she jumped away. Annabel brought her hand to her mouth like it was burned, and Remus, right in front of her, crumpled to the floor.

"Oh my god," Annabel whispered. "Oh my _fucking_ god."

Her first instinct was to run away, but then she did something—she did something that she regretted right after. She carefully turned Remus' face towards her and then kissed him one more time, just to see what it was like, and in his sleep he kissed her back. It was only a second long, but then she stepped back and ran upstairs.

Alice was there. Alice was already there, and writing in her journal.

"Annabel?" Alice looked surprised. "I thought you were asleep in the common room."

Annabel made a noise that was a mixture of half-annoyance and half-pleasure and threw herself onto her bed. Tears dripped down her cheeks.

She liked it.

She liked kissing Remus.

She kissed him—twice.

TWICE.

Two times. Dos. The number two.

And the second time was because of her.

She practically..._molested_ his mouth during his sleep.

_Was that even LEGAL_?

She shouldn't have.

"I want a time turner," she said.

"Why?" Alice asked curiously.

"So I can go back in time and punch myself in the face. Hard."

"Why?" asked Alice again.

"I am a mouth-molesting ass."

"_What._" It wasn't even a question, it was more of an exclamation.

"I know!" Annabel hit her head on the wall. "This is so stupid! I'm so stupid! How-how could I _do_ this to him? HE HAS A GIRLFRIEND."

"_WHAT_."

"I know!" Annabel whimpered. "I'm a whore. I'm a slag. I'm every single little bad thing that people make me out to be. I'm dating David and I kissed Remus—"

"YOU KISSED REMUS?"

Annabel shuddered. "Don't rub it in! I—I didn't do it _intentionally _… okay, yes I did, but he kissed me first, and I-I guess he thought I was _Marna_ or something, and then he-he _he passed out_. He _fucking_ passed out!" She pounded her fist into her bed. "And then..."

"And then what?"

"And then I kissed him while he was passed out."

Alice giggled.

"It's not funny!" Annabel hit herself on the head. "Mouth snagging, that's me. Marna has EVERY right to kick me in the ass, if she wants to. Marna has every right to slap me! Look at them! They're adorable." She sat up straight. "I've got it."

"You've got what?"

"I've got it!" Annabel started dancing on her bed. "No one saw us kiss—they were too busy passing out. Remus will just think that he kissed Marna, and there's no way I'm going to tell him that he kissed _me_. Marna doesn't have to punch me, I'm not going to tell her or him, and David and I can go on dating be-because you know, David and I are already dating and I really _like_ him and..." She gasped for air.

Alice was glaring at her.

"You're blind, Annabel Foster, you are," Alice snapped. "Go to sleep."

"But it's a perfect solution," Annabel said softly. "Right?"

* * *

><p>There was a clamor the next day as sixth and seventh years alike woke up with terrible hangovers to their friends feeding them Hangover Potions. Alice gave the potions out quickly, and soon people were looking much more cheerful, and then after a dose of Pep-Me-Up, they looked completely normal.<p>

Annabel looked at herself in the mirror, rather vainly. _Stupid of me_, she said, looking at the elaborate hairstyle she put her hair up in. A sad little grin dominated her face. _I need to get my priorities straight_.

_Yes, you do_, said the other side of her brain, and she had to remember those strange thoughts she'd be having.

That man, Charles.

That feeling of not belonging.

The everlasting love for her lord.

Was it...from Professor Feibe?

A.K.A., the crazy-ass woman who poisoned her?

She needed sustenance.

Annabel grabbed her rucksack and fairly tumbled down the stairs. Her conversation with Remus—falling down stairs—flew into her mind and she hit her head against the wall.

"GET OUT GETOUT GEOUT!" she screamed, her words blurring together. A first year gave her a frightened look.

"Annabel! Anna! ANNABEL E. FOSTER!" Someone was shaking her, but she couldn't tell who from all the shaking around.

"What?" she sobbed. "What?"

"Get it together!" The person's hands felt familiar, and the whiff of chocolate on its breath...

Chocolate.

Annabel's eyes focused on Remus' brown hair with a sense of horror that grew rapidly.

"Let go of me," she whispered.

"What?"

"I said, LET GO OF ME!" Annabel wrenched her hands from Remus, tears dripping from her eyes. She scrubbed at them in vain.

"Anna—"

Annabel avoided his outstretched hand and fled.

* * *

><p><em>What the hell is going on<em>? Remus thought, gritting his teeth. He restrained himself from chasing after Annabel.

Because really, he was four seconds away from chasing her.

"Oi, Moony!"

There was a girl—a girl he was fairly sure he'd never seen before in his life. Long black hair and bright brown eyes, she got looks from all the boys.

"Who...who are you?" Remus asked politely, all the while clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Don't get all hostile," said the girl with a sigh. "It's...it's me."

"Me who?"

The girl gave an apologetic smile. "Hi. My name's James Potter."

* * *

><p>So. Not only had SIRIUS gotten turned into Noelle, James tried to undo the spell and turned into...<p>

A girl.

James stubbornly insisted on calling himself "Jamie Potterson."

Jamie Potterson.

Remus had to give himself a hit on the face at that name. Finally, he managed to get James to change his—ahem, her's—name to Jamie Pantheleam.

"What is up with you guys and sexual changes?" he asked finally.

Jamie finally stopped managing to stare at his very own set of 'womanly charms' that were on his chest, and looked up. "It's only brief. I'm going to Madam Pomfrey...tomorrow."

"It'll look like you skived off classes."

"I always skive off classes."

"Touche."

As James yawned, Sirius burst into the room looking revolted.

"Guess what?" he said. "A boy just grabbed me around and said, 'YOU'RE MINE' and snogged me."

Remus, James and Peter erupted in laughter.

"It's not funny!" Sirius whined.

As Remus laughed, Annabel suddenly appeared in his mind and he stopped laughing immediately.

"Do you know if Annabel's mad at me?" he asked.

Three identical looks of confusion—albeit two being feminine—stared at him.

"No, why? What did you do? Snog David?" Sirius wiped his lips again and grimaced. "You know what the worst thing was?"

"What?"

"It wasn't that bad."

There was a silence, and then the Marauders howled with laughter while Sirius pouted.

* * *

><p>Lily sat in the library with Blake at her side. Her hand tingled—positively tingled—with warmth as Blake held her hand, his fingers twining with hers. She had a feeling that she was pink.<p>

"Hey," Blake said, turning her head and kissing her forehead. Now her forehead was tingling. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing," Lily said, giggling a bit. She was suddenly very glad that she wore makeup and that green blouse that she told herself she was never ever going to wear. It was weird—school was about to start and she wasn't even caring because here she was, with Blake.

"Hi!" said a girl with bouncy black curls and brown-hazel eyes.

"Hi," Lily said casually, and carefully.

Did she know this girl?

"I'm Jamie," said the girl. "Jamie Panthaleam."

"That's a...interesting name," Lily said.

"I know, right?" The girl gave the highest, most girlish giggle that Lily grimaced and leaned slightly away. And what was the girl _wearing_? Lily's eyes were drawn down to the girl's scandalous clothes, which were barely more than a bra and shorts.

Blake was goggling at her.

"Shut up," Lily said, hitting Blake on the shoulder sharply. "Listen. I don't know who you are...and I don't think I really care."

The girl's smile faded.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Lily said. "I-I didn't mean it that way. I just meant that..._what are you wearing_?"

"Girl clothes...?" the girl said.

"Are you saying I'm not a girl?" Lily asked humorously, looking down at her own sensible wear. "Anyway, class is starting, gotta go to Transfig. Bye!"

Lily ruffled her dark red hair, rumpling it out of its curls. Her hand was quickly cooling down from when Blake was holding it and she found that she was not missing it very much, though it was nice while it lasted.

Who was that girl?

Her name reminded Lily of...

James Potter.

_But that's silly_, she told herself. _Even James Potter wouldn't turn into a girl_.

What is up with all these gender changes?

"Get into your seats! Class will begin in five minutes!"

Lily clapped herself down besides Annabel. "Hey."

Annabel nodded. Her eyes were swollen and a tinge red.

"What-what's wrong?"

Annabel tossed a bit of paper at her.

**I need to tell you something. -A**

_What do you need to tell me? -L_

**I … I may have done something while you all were asleep. **

_Bloody hell! Annabel, did you lose your...your..._

**MY WHAT?**

_Your...virginity?_

**Go die, Lily. **

_I'll take that as a no. Phew. So what do you have to tell me?_

**I kissed someone last night. **

_Kissed who?_

**I kissed a boy. **

_No duh. _

**I kissed...**

_Just spit it out already!_

**I kissed Remus Lupin. **

"WHAT?"

Lily covered her mouth, cheeks burning as Professor McGonagall stared at her.

_Annabel kissed Remus Lupin?_

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, quick note: I know that all the sex changes will be getting kind of annoying, so in a few chapters, it's all going to end and EVERYONE are going to be their rightful gender. Ha. Bear with me? And um...Yeah...All I can say was this chapter was extraordinarily fun to write.<strong>

**Review?**


	19. Revelations and Gender Corrections

**There came a multitude of sparkles and gorgeous twirls of color as the box exploded. The reviewers gasp- "What is it? What might it be?" And then a faerie, with long dragging skirts the color of antique gold and wings as clears as a diamond comes out with a gift-A NEW CHAPTER! Reviewers are delighted but then scowl. "Where's the author? WE WILL KILL HER!"**

**The faerie has a panicked look. She disappears and the authoress runs for her life. **

**Yeah, I'm crappy. Sorry 'bout that. And this isn't even a long chapter to make up for it. *sighs* And WINTER is about to start (woo-hoo)**

* * *

><p>Chapter Eighteen: Revelations and Gender Corrections<p>

* * *

><p>Review Replies:<strong> mikaela97:<strong> aww, thanks! *gives a hug*** Alex:** Yeahh...I'm not that good about the whole updating bit... sorry...teehee...** LaeZ Nena: **Yeah...I was going to do a whole segment about it, but then I got sick and tired and then it all went downhill for me...sigh...HAHA, yeah, well, every story does that! Let's just see how I deal with David... *rubs hands together evilly.* Pet Shirakage for me, will you? :D** Clevernugget:** YES! THEY KISSED! BUT ITS NOT GOING TO LAST...sigh...:D** Hi:** HI! Awwww, what a nice lovely long review, I do like long reviews a lot...hahaha...and here's my update! So sorry that it's been so long!** PrincessShannon1492:** I'm good at humor! YAYYYY! Yeah, this isn't even remotely good...** HGromanticsap:** Awww, you have a kitty? I love cats! Did you meet any famous music people at your camp?** Nizuna Fujieda: ** Here's my update! Even thought I'm a crap update! Seriously though, this chapter was originally about nine thousand words and I cut most of the things and used them in future chapters. I also had a QUITE funny bit that was supposed to be in here, but edited it .** WentToManderleyAgain:** My dear and lovely Em, I WILL start betainng your chapter, I PROMISE! Thanks for reviewing my dear!** Mabel:** I get confused to! BUt what's the world if its not confused? LOL! Thanks for reviewing?** clovetF:** I think I'm planning a LONG remus/OC one-shot, but not sure if I'll actually write it...thanks for reviewing!

* * *

><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

* * *

><p>Quote: It stared out as a feelingWhich then grew into a hope/Which then turned into a quiet thought/Which then turned into a quiet word. ~The Call by Regina Spektor

* * *

><p>As Lily covered her mouth, Annabel nearly started crying again.<p>

Professor McGonagall raised one eyebrow. "What, Ms. Evans? Did you have a question about the spell that we are performing today?"

"I-I..."

Annabel saved her. "Lily was just saying 'what' because I told her that my stomach was hurting and I didn't want to go to the nurse's office, but I guess I'll go now. May I go?" She gave McGonagall a pleading look.

McGonagall waved her out.

Once they were out, Lily whirled to Annabel. "We're not really going to the Hospital Wing, are we?"

"Nope," Annabel said.

"Do you want to talk?"

Annabel considered this. "Maybe. Yes. Alright. Sure. Where?"

Lily shrugged. "Prefect's bathroom?" At Annabel's skeptical look, she laughed. "It's amazing! One of the best things about being a Prefect—the bathrooms."

"The bathrooms."

Annabel wouldn't know anyway, being just a LOUSY regular student.

"Where's the bathrooms?"

"Oh, well, Remus persuaded the—oh."

Annabel took a deep breath. "Sorry." She rubbed at her eyes. "It's alright. I'm just..." Annabel waved her hands and took some more deep breaths. "I'm just emotionally whacked."

"A-alright," said a concerned Lily. "If you're sure."

They walked in silence down a couple of halls and in front of a painting, Annabel didn't figure out which. As if in a dream, Lily said the password and they walked in.

"Oh wow," Annabel breathed, momentarily forgetting about her dilemma.

The Prefect's bathroom was huge. And gorgeous.

"What happens if two people take a bath at the same time?"

Lily goggled. And then giggled.

"The bathtub is huge," Annabel said.

"Yes it is," Lily said.

"Let's sit in it!"

Lily stared at her. "_What_?"

"Sit in the bathtub!"

"No way!"

"Please? Oh please oh please?" Annabel stared at Lily pleadingly. "I am sad and about to cry. So let's sit in the bathtub!"

Lily looked at the cushiony chairs near the bathtub and groaned. "You're lucky you're my friend."

And they sat down.

"So," Lily said.

"Yeah," Annabel replied.

The words came pouring out of Lily.

"You kissed Remus? I bet you it was during his birthday party. Does he know? Were you drunk? I was asleep, wasn't I?"

"Yes. I did. It was during his birthday party and—ugh! He has..._a girlfriend_. God. Marna has _my blessing_ to smack me in the face. Smack me fully in the face! I allow her to!" Annabel buried her face in her hands.

"Are you done yet?"

Lily's voice was uncommonly snappish.

"Uh...yes?" Annabel said.

"Good. Then I'd like to point out that you are completely overreacting."

Annabel gaped at her.

"But-but I got _kissed_. By _Remus Lupin_."

"Yes, but he was drunk. All you have to say was that he drunk kissed you. And if he doesn't remember, alright."

Lily's unfailing logic slowly worked its way to Annabel's mind.

"Oh," Annabel said in a tiny voice. "Well, that wouldn't work anyway."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because I bumped into Remus and completely freaked out."

Lily's green eyes widened.

And then she began to giggle.

"It's not funny!" Annabel said peevishly, but then she started to laugh as well.

All was well until Remus Lupin walked into the Prefect's Bathroom.

* * *

><p>First he stared, and then he frowned. Then confusion lit his face, and then he walked over.<p>

"Can I ask why you two are in the Prefect's bathtub?" Remus asked.

Annabel and Lily exchanged panicked glances.

"I think I'll leave you two here to...uh...talk it out," Lily said, walking away. The door closed behind her with a soft click and the mermaid in the painting giggled. Annabel shot a glare at it.

Remus turned to Annabel.

Annabel turned that glare into a smile.

"Remus!" she said brightly, getting out of the bathtub and standing in front of him. Her fingers twisted together and then untwisted. "Hey. Yeah. Um. Hi."

"Hi," Remus said shortly.

There was an awkward silence and then-

"I know that I kissed you."

"You sorta kissed me last night."

Another pause. And then-

"What?

"_What_?"

"I know that I kissed you," Remus repeated. "Sorry. I didn't mean to. I was drunk."

There was a crushing sense of disappointment in Annabel's stomach.

Why disappointment?

_She had a boyfriend for heaven's sake._

"Oh," Annabel said shortly. "Um. Do you remember passing out?"

"Yeah," Remus said. "I remember that. After that, it's all just blackness."

_He doesn't know that she kissed him a second time. _

"So, friends?"

_He's delusional_.

Aargh! Why couldn't he just see that Annabel was trying—wait, what _was _she thinking? She was insane! This was insane!

_He's psychotic. _

He kissed her. Which was fine, because he was drunk and everything, but _she kissed him back_. She was overthinking this—she must be—because this entirely exhausting tirade against herself was completely confusing.

Annabel realized that he was still waiting for an answer.

"Yes!" she blurted. "Friends. Always."

"Always," Remus said, a tiny smile appearing on his face. "I like that word."

And then Annabel threw herself at him in a hug.

* * *

><p>Alice, like usual, was alone. Normally, she would be with Noelle and Lily and Annabel, sometimes with the Marauders, but Noelle was off causing havoc and Sirius was off causing MORE havoc. Lily was with Blake and Annabel was chatting with David. After disenchanting James, Alice would have thought that the manly version of James would have stayed with her, chatted a little bit, but instead he was off trying to woo Lily without having to look at Blake.<p>

So Alice was alone.

Sometimes she wanted to fall in love, have a boyfriend, have an excuse for ditching her friends. It was just making her feel lonely to be so alone.

Touching her long brown hair, she imagined herself with longer hair. There was a girl—Mellie?—who was exceptionally good at hair spells.

Perhaps she should go to Mellie.

She should ask Lily, or Annabel, or Noelle first. They were the fashion experts, not her.

Then again...

Before Alice knew what she was doing, she crossed over to Mellie and tapped her on the shoulder. Mellie looked up, surprise on her face when she saw it was Alice.

"Hello Alice," Mellie said.

"Hi," Alice said. "I need a haircut."

* * *

><p>Noelle was having an excellent time playing around in Sirius' body. Uh, not exactly <em>that<em> way.

**First class: Transfiguration.**

"Hello Minnie!" she said to Professor McGonagall.

"For the thousandth time, Mr. Black, do _not _call me 'Minnie!'"

"Alright, Minnie!"

When Professor McGonagall started to teach, Noelle threw herself out of her seat, ignoring Sirius' angry yell at this killing of his precious body. "LOOK AT ME!" she shouted. "I'M SIRIUS BLACK AND I HAVE AMAZING HAIR." She struck a pose. "I'M JUST AMAZING!"

"Oh yeah?" muttered Sirius, before jumping up. "OH YEAH? LOOK AT ME! I'M NOELLE, AND I THINK I'M SEXIER THAN SIRIUS. WRONG!"

"YOU MEAN UGLIER? BECAUSE SIRIUS IS TOTALLY NOT SEXY!"

The class stared, openmouthed, at them.

"HE IS TOO!"

"NOELLE IS SEXIER!"

"SHE IS NOT!"

"YES SHE IS."

"LESS THAN HIM!"

"NO WAY!"

"Ms. Jonn and Mr. Black! Detention! Both of you! Eight o' clock!"

Noelle and Sirius glared at each other, but really, Noelle was delighted.

Trouble for Black, check.

_Noelle: 1. Black: 0._

**Lunch:**

"ATTENTION, EVERYONE!" Noelle shouted, and the Great Hall quieted. "I WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT I AM GAY!"

Deathly quiet. Then two girls started crying.

"RIGHT NOW, I AM DATING MY BEST MATE...REMUS LUPIN!"

"Thanks a lot," muttered Remus. "_This_ is what I get for covering for you?"

Sirius coughed and coughed. "YOU KNOW? I AM NOT STRAIGHT. I AM GAY TOO!"

"You can't be gay, you're a girl," Noelle said calmly, and then walked through the dead-quiet hall with a pleased smile on her lips.

"Jonn! Black! DOUBLE DETENTION!"

_Noelle: 2. Black: 0_

**Third Class: Potions**.

"Jonn and Black, you're paired together."

Noelle gritted her teeth and moved to Sirius.

James gave her a thumbs-up—he was back to normal, thanks to Alice's nifty wandwork, and no longer a girl.

"Hello Jonn," Sirius snarled. "I'm getting Alice to turn us back into our regular selves."

"Sorry," Noelle said brightly. "Even though Alice _does_ know the spell now, I've made her promise not to undo it until the classes are over."

"No worries," Sirius said. "I'll just seduce her."

Noelle raised an eyebrow. "In _that _body? Good luck, jackass."

"Well," Sirius said, his voice dropping down into a low, sultry tone. "You do have a very amazing sense of humor." Then he purred. _He effing purred_. The sound was so unnerving that Noelle added a steady stream of billywig stings until she realized what she was doing and yelled as the cauldron exploded.

"What happened here?" Professor Slughorn snapped.

Sirius giggled. "Oh, nothing. I was just trying to seduce Black, and it worked so well that he dropped too many billywig stings into the cauldron."

"Ms. Jonn! I am very ashamed of you! Detention!" Noelle gaped until he turned to her and said, "And you, Mr. Black, detention as well!"

"I hate you," Noelle grumbled as Slughorn waddled away.

_Noelle: 2. Black: 1._

* * *

><p>"Alright? Ready?" Alice held up her wand and chanted something intelligible. Noelle gasped as her gut jerked and her essence, <em>her very soul<em>, flew out of Sirius' body and into her own, and with a sigh of relief, she touched her head.

Long, silky blonde hair.

A girl's body.

Noelle nearly squealed with delight.

Besides her, Sirius did squall with delight. "I'm a man!" he shouted happily. "I AM A MAN! GOD BLESS US!"

"Well, good for you both," Alice said. "However, don't forget. You both have three detentions each for three nights."

Sirius and Noelle both groaned comically. "Fine. We'd best be heading off tonight, then."

"Yes, you should."

They hovered for a second, and then Noelle scowled. "I'm going to go take a bath. Who knows if this body has taken a bath in a while."

"I haven't," Sirius called after her.

"Ew!"

Alice stared, befuddled, after her, and then turned to Sirius expectantly. He walked out, presumably to take a shower as well.

"WELL YOU'RE BOTH WELCOME!" she shouted after them, and then glared angrily. "Sheesh. Even _James_ was nicer … some friends..." She whirled around to collect her wand and her rucksack when the door opened again and closed.

"Hello Alice."

_That voice_.

Alice gazed wildly around the room and saw that there was no one there other than the owner of the voice. Of course there wasn't. This was an empty classroom. Insensible, it was.

"Frank," Alice said darkly.

He kissed her.

He kissed her and told her to dream about him when she slept.

_She didn't want to dream about him_.

"Alice."

She could feel him, standing right behind her, and she took a shaking breath, trying to calm herself down.

"Why are you here?" she asked breathily, and then scorned herself for sounding so silly. _Just look at me_, she thought angrily.

"Because I heard your voice and decided to drop by and say hello. I like your new haircut."

It was true. Alice _had_ gotten a haircut, chopping it off at the shoulder and it was streaked with honey-colored highlights, framing her round face.

"Thanks," Alice said, and then turned around to head towards the door. She was caught with surprise at how awkward Frank looked, hands shoved deep into his pockets, looking through his long bangs with a shy smile, rocking on his heels unconsciously. Her heart ached.

"Look-Alice-"

She waited, expectantly.

"I shouldn't have kissed you. I'm sorry. I just wanted you to know how I felt about you, and it was a daring, impulsive thing, and I'd love to say that I meant the words 'I'm sorry' but the truth is that I wasn't really sorry so-"

"Shut up and kiss me."

And so he did.

* * *

><p>Remus and Annabel were walking to the common room together, shoulders touching and Annabel feeling very weak, though she was trying to hide it with a cheery smile and chatter. She thought she was doing it quite well until Remus said, "What's wrong?"<p>

"Nothing's wrong!" Annabel said quite cheerfully, giving such a wide smile that it looked positively unnatural. She passed Blake and Lily chattering and rolled her eyes, before ignoring Blake pointedly and giving Lily a hug. "Nothing's wrong," she repeated once they were out of sight.

"Oh really? Annabel, I _know_ you, and there is most definitely something wrong."

Annabel gave a hefty sigh. The portraits were all ignoring them, so she started talking. "On the day of your birthday, I had memories."

"...I don't know, Annabel, I always assumed that having memories was normal."

"Oh shut up, you." Annabel sighed, running her hands through her hair. "These memories—they weren't mine—and I thought that Professor Feibe poisoned me." She forced a laugh. "Crazy, isn't it."

"I don't think so," Remus said. "Professor Feibe seems pretty scary to me. But Dumbledore wouldn't let anyone untrustworthy in, now would he?"

"That's the thing, Remus," replied Annabel. "I _thought_ he wouldn't, but Professor Feibe was all dull and boring in the beginning, right? And I thought that her eyes changed colors just for a second, and her hair—it's so strange! But what does she want with me?"

"I can't answer that," Remus said. "You're normal, Annabel. You don't have a disease that afflicts you every day, you don't have anything that Professor Feibe would want—except for your strangeness." He smiled to show that it was a joke. "You don't have a disease that makes you fear for the people around you." His voice was bitter.

"Remus—what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Just as quickly, the bitterness was gone. "Perhaps you should go to Professor McGonagall, or Dumbledore. I'm sure they'd listen."

"I'm afraid if they _don't_," moaned Annabel.

As they walked into the common room, Noelle launched herself at Annabel. "Guess what?" she squealed. "I'm me again! And I have to go to detention! Bye!" She was gone in a matter of moments.

"As strange as you are," Remus said dryly, "I'm afraid that Noelle is ten times stranger."

Annabel giggled.

Sirius barreled past them, pulling his shirt on. "Out of my way!" he snarled and then ran into a wall.

And then Annabel lost it, laughing so hard that her stomach hurt, and it felt _good _when Remus joined in, both laughing so hard that Sirius gave a petulant look and raced out of the common room with his shirt backwards.

"Should we tell him?" Annabel asked.

"Tell him what?"

Annabel said nothing, merely pointed.

_Hey Baby, Let's Get Down_, was on the back of Sirius' shirt.

Remus winced. "I knew I should have burned it when he got it."


	20. Seasons Break: Winter

_Winter_

_Year: 1977_

_End of First Quarter of Sixth Year_


	21. The Tears of Alice and Annabel

***Reviewers are sitting around in a half-circle, chatting easily. They see the authoress try to sneak in. All of them whirl around, accusingly glaring at her***

**"TRAP HER! KILL HER! SHE HASN'T UPDATED IN _WEEKS!_**"****

****Authoress drags the chapter out and hurriedly tapes it in place. She glances over her shoulder, eyes widening in panic as she sees that the people are already close by. With a final piece of tape and a final change, she rushes out of the giant exit door. ****

****Yes, I suck. I really really do. And I feel terrible for that. Just don't kill me. This chapter is also short. Yes, I know. Sorry.****

****Angst ahead. Loads of angst. Don't say I didn't warn you.****

* * *

><p>Chapter Nineteen: The Tears of Alice and Annabel<p>

* * *

><p>Review Replies:<strong> Polkadot: <strong>Aw! I must warn you though, the whole 'Lily doesn't hate James so much anymore!' is not going to last for a while. Sucks, right?** crusherccme:** Okey-dokey!** WentToManderleyAgain:** Well, he's not REALLY gay, I prefer to think that he's more bisexual, lol.** PrincessShannon1498:** I'm very sorry dear. you all must hate me for not updating soon enough, lol.** unnamed.** Why, I love Remus/Tonks too!** faeriemaiden96:** Have I mentioned that I REALLY love your name? It's so epic. You might like this chapter, or you might hate me. You'll probably hate me soon enough, then. ** RachelDare:** Here I am, writing! I love Percy Jackson! (I'm assuming that that's what your name is about)** Laez Nena:** AHAHAHA yoda. LOL. Yes, Noelle won. GO GIRLS. If it makes you happy, here: "David looked. He gasped. And then, in almost slow motion, he fell off the cliff and drowned. The End." LOL, but that's not going to be part of the story, though. *pets Shirakage.* "Hey Shirakage...nee-chan...I'm just fine, how are you?" Sorry, not very good at that kind of stuff. **HGromanticsap:** Cats are epicness. They're all "meow" and never actually listen to what you're saying. There's a awesome site called catversushuman at tumblr . com, and it's totally awesome...it's part of the reason why I haven't been writing, haha. DISNEY IS EPICNESS. Haha, not so sure about the whole remus/annabel bit..Annabel is quite annoying sometimes. ** HI:** Hi to you too! I have a tendency to draw things out a lot, you know, _tension_, haha, but David is not the type to cheat. Heh. He really isn't. Some girls might kiss him, but he wouldn't kiss any girl willingly. At least, that's how I created him. Teehee. Thanks for reading!** Clevernugget:** Though I would be totally psyched if your teacher allowed you to read my story for language arts, I have a feeling that all my swearing isn't good for the teachers, bwahahaha...how's the Nico/OC going? I look forward to it!** Queer king stephen:** Sorryyyyyy! I APOLOGIZE. I'm crappy at updating. ** Ruislintu:** Thank YOU for reading! I fail a lot of exams...i hate math...whoops. You probably didn't fail the English test, though!** Shnitzel: **Aww, you just made me smile...I'm so glad you think so! Thank you so very much for reviewing, and if you DID review this chapter, FF shows you a message saying "you have already reviewed this chapter" (believe me, it's happened to me three million times)** clovetf:** The twentieth chapter to show the whole seasons break thingy, sorry. As I said before, Annabel and Remus are probably not going to get together for a verrrryyy long time. ** Melodiux:** Haha, how AWESOME! I'm glad you like this story!

* * *

><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

* * *

><p>Quote: If you look at my eyes when I'm dancing, you'll see that glazed look. ~Ben Stiller<p>

* * *

><p>As Annabel walked down the hallway the next day, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around, expecting to see one of her friends, and her smile stopped short as she saw a breathless Marna. "Oh, hello!" she said, her mind reeling. <em>What was she doing here?<em>

"Hey," panted Marna, hands on her knees. "Jesus, woman. Do you really have to walk so fast?"

"Yeah, _sorry_ 'bout that," Annabel said very ungraciously. Merlin. Up close, Marna was gorgeous. "I didn't know that anyone was following me."

"We should—we should get to know each other!"

_What?_

Annabel looked up to see Marna's smiling face. "Alright," she said very unenthusiastically. "Shall we go outside?"

Marna nodded emphatically. "Sure! That'd be...great!"

All the way, Marna prattled. "It's really nice to meet you—Remus has been saying all these great things about you."

"Oh really?" Annabel asked.

She felt a twinge of guilt. Marna didn't know about Remus' drunk kiss.

"Yes!" Marna beamed at her. They were outside now, and Annabel concentrated very hard on the flattened grass to prevent herself from saying something she would completely regret. "Isn't it just lovely? Your last name's Foster, right?" Marna tucked a strand of red-brown hair behind her ear. "I must admit, I thought you didn't like me before but..." Her brow furrowed. "That's...odd."

"What?" Annabel asked. "What's odd?"

"Nothing!" Marna's smile was back full-force. "I, I just had the craziest thought but...never mind! Do you like chocolate?"

"No, but Remus adores it," Annabel said.

"Oh really? Does he?"

_What kind of a girlfriend doesn't know that Remus likes chocolate?_

Annabel scolded herself.

Marna looped her arm through Annabel's, a friendly gesture, though Annabel wanted her to just get off. "How are you?" Marna asked, suddenly serious.

"Good," Annabel said curtly, though her resolve to be aloof was failing miserably. "I'm fine. You?"

"Oh, I'm just great." Marna had a big smile on. "I've been wanting that stupid oaf Lupin to ask me out for ages..." She gave a dreamy sigh and Annabel felt a twinge of jealousy. That jealousy was evaporated when David whirled by and gave her a quick peck on the cheek and she smiled at him before turning back to Marna.

Marna had a curious look on her face. "Who was that? David?"

"Oh yeah," said Annabel airily. "My boyfriend."

Boyfriend. The word tingled.

"Hello Professor Feibe!" Marna said.

Annabel whipped her head around so fast that she nearly cracked her neck. There was Professor Feibe alright, but she wasn't the sinuous lady as she was before. Her pale hair was swept up messily and she had a frantic look about herself. "Oh hello dears," said the Professor weakly. "I seem to be dropping so many papers!" Another paper wafted to the ground.

"You know," Annabel said abruptly, "You seem much different than I last saw you."

Professor Feibe turned ashen and fled.

Marna stared after the professor and then turned to Annabel with a faintly accusing glare. "What did you do."

"Me? I didn't do anything!"

"But you said something and then she just ran away." Marna waved her arms around expressly.

"Anyway—" Annabel turned the subject to one that she didn't really want to hear but asked about anyway. "How did you and Remus meet?"

Instantly Marna's face lit up. Annabel felt a twinge of jealousy—she looked so happy, so free.

"Oh, it was more like an accident," Marna said shyly, ducking her head and blushing. "My friend was snogging Sirius and Remus and I had to seperate them and I guess it just clicked for me—he always was the sweetest Marauder, so I guess that I just fell, hard for him. It's hard, you know, because you're one of his friends and you're, you know, sort of pretty, but he's just such a nice guy...you don't think he would cheat on me, would he?"

Annabel snatched a response out of the air. "Of course he wouldn't! He never would!"

"Oh." Marna looked relieved. "You're such a nice friend, Annabel."

_But I don't want to be your friend! _Annabel screamed inside of her head, knowing fully well that she sounded like a bitch. _I just want to sort out my messed up feelings even though I thought I fixed them up!_

"David's a lucky boy."

Annabel smiled. Worst bit was, she actually sort of liked this Marna, who was so obviously trying to be friendly.

"Anna!" Alice practically flew at Annabel, her face glowing with happiness. "Annabel, I need to talk to you!"

"Not right now," said Annabel. "Go talk to Noelle."

The shine of happiness in Alice's face fled, her eyes widening a fraction and suddenly glistening with tears.

"Oh, I should have seen this coming."

The emotion in Alice's voice was trembly; her cheeks were red with anger. Out of the side of her eye, Annabel could see Marna slowly backing away.

"Alice?" Annabel said uneasily.

"You're all too busy with your _stupid_ boys!" shouted Alice, stomping her foot. Annabel jumped back. She had never seen Alice like this before.

"Wha-what?"

Alice looked so furious it wasn't even funny to see her like that. "Aargh!" she screamed. "Just. Don't. TALK. TO. ME!"

"Alice-wait!"

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Alice sprinted away.

Annabel took one glance to see the people around them and saw Lily reaching out, her face concerned, but Annabel felt her head shake and then shake some more. She raised a trembly hand to her cheek and found that she was crying as well.

"Annabel—" Lily whispered, though it was very loud in the silence around them.

Annabel backed up, nearly tripped over her own feet, and then ran away, not even knowing where she wanted to go.

* * *

><p>She ended up wandering for a while and then going into the Quidditch Stadium and climbing high, high, higher than she ever had before, until she was in the very top bleachers. Everything below was tiny.<p>

There, she allowed herself to sob.

She sobbed for many reasons, and the reasons simply complied out of her, more reasons than she thought she had.

Annabel was supposed to be over _the kiss_.

She wasn't.

She was ALSO supposed to be not jealous of Marna.

Well, that failed completely.

She wasn't supposed to make Alice mad.

What a crap friend she was.

She was supposed to figure out what the fuck was wrong with her mind and all those strange memories and the teacher.

She probably wasn't supposed to do it anymore.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, warmer than her own skin and then cooling rapidly in sticky-glippy-gloppy tears. Her stomach growled and looking up, she realized that she'd been walking for hours and dinner was already gone.

Another reason to cry. (albeit a stupid reason)

Annabel took a shuddering breath and concentrated on her fingers. They were waxy-white from the cold and her eyes hurt; hurt more than she thought they would. They hurt more than they had when she cried about The Kiss.

"I-I need to set things to rights," she said quietly.

"Damn right you need to."

Annabel jumped up, her eyes widening, and then saw that James was hovering besides her on his broomstick. So silent was he that she hadn't even noticed he was there, or maybe she was just a bit too preoccupied.

"James," she said, her voice a whisper from no usage.

"What the fuck _have_ you done?" James asked wearily. "Alice is in hysterics; Lily is shouting at everyone who goes past her..." He grimaced and rubbed his cheek and Annabel saw a red handprint on it. "Marna's yelling at Moony, and Noelle is going crazy, screaming for where you are. So what happened?"

Tears welled up in Annabel's eyes again. "I caused all of that?" she said in a tiny voice.

"Oh yes you did."

They spilled, those traitorous tears, but rage welled up in Annabel. "Well you don't have to be so _damn_ cavalier about it!" she shouted so loudly that James cringed. "I—I've been having a bad day and it's even _worse_ now! I've done ALL OF THIS! I'VE MADE MY FRIENDS A WRECK AND ITS ALL MY FAULT!"

The emotions ripped through her and she collapsed again, sobbing violently. Suddenly, arms wrapped around her, as warm as a ray of sunshine and she clung to James, crying into his coat. The bristles on his broomstick dug into her stomach, but she ignored it, crying so hard her body was wracked with it.

James said nothing, just comforted her by patting her back.

Finally, Annabel drew back, sniffling. "You're good with crying females."

James gave a slight smile. Then— "Did you know I was once in your predicament?"

"What, you managed to make Alice cry?"

"Okay, not _that_ predicament, but I put my foot in my mouth in front of everyone."

Annabel wiped her nose. "When?"

"I think you were out in the Hospital Wing, but I was unsuccessfully trying to get Lily to go out with me. What I meant to say was, 'You look pretty in green'. What I actually said was, 'Wow, nice arse, Lily. Go out with me?'"

Annabel winced and laughed. "She punched you."

"She hexed me, punched me and called me a witless bitch." James winced. "And then I, being Mr. Traitorous Mouth, went and said, 'Ooh, can't you feel the sexual tension in the air'? And then...oh god..."

Annabel gave a surprised giggle at the sight of James Potter blushing red. "What did you do?"

"I, er, snogged her."

"What."

"Or someone who looked like her."

"_What_."

"I snogged a fourth year with red hair."

There, Annabel lost it. She cracked up until her cheeks hurt from smiling and her stomach heaved. "You snogged a fourth year with red hair while Lily looked on."

"Yes..." James rubbed the back of his head, turning the brightest shade of red that she had ever seen him.

"That's worse than what I did!"

"Infinitely so."

Annabel giggled and James chucked her under the chin. "Make you feel better?"

"Yeah." Her smile was large, larger than she thought it would be after such severe crying. "Yeah, it did. You're a good guy, James."

James looked pleased. "Why thank you."

"No, I mean it." She gave a small laugh. "And you have a comfortable shirt to cry on."

"It's not everyday I comfort a crying female. Do you, er, want to go down into the Great Hall and face everyone?"

Annabel thought about it, and just then it started to rain. Great droplets splashed onto the front of her shirt, but for some reason it was warm water and she didn't mind it a whit. "Um, no. You don't _have_ to stay with me, however."

"Nah, I'll stay with you." James tossed his broomstick to one side and sat down next to Annabel.

It occurred to Annabel how lucky she was to have a friend who was a boy. If either Lily or Noelle or Alice—she gave a tiny sniff at the thought of Alice—were there, they would have complained about the rain. But there James was, not even minding that the rain was splashing his glasses, smiling at her placidly.

"You're amazing, you know that?" she said blearily, feeling suddenly very tired. She slid closer to James and put her head on his shoulder. "Lily's a lucky girl."

Exhaustion swept over her and she closed her eyes, falling asleep.

But behind James' eyeglasses, his eyes were very, very bright.

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><p>Rumors were flying around, Noelle figured as she scrubbed pots in detention that evening. Sirius Black was right next to her, but she was ignoring him, her thoughts preoccupied. Rumors that James and Annabel went to the woods and...<em>rolled around<em> for a while. Just because Annabel was carried by James back to the Gryffindor Tower. And by carried, he _actually_ carried her. Why he didn't use a simple levitation charm, Noelle didn't know.

She was an awful friend, Noelle figured. A shit-tastic friend. To think! It was true. They'd been ignoring Alice for ages.

It was always easy to ignore quiet people.

"What are you doing?"

Sirius' voice, hoarse from disuse, broke the silence.

"I-er-thinking."

"Oh." _Scrub scrub scrub_. "About Alice?"

"Yeah," Noelle said, surprised. Who knew that Sirius Black was observant? She snuck at look at him; those black eyes with hair falling into them, with that face that made girls swoon. No wonder she had a crush on Black.

"You shouldn't blame yourself completely for that," Sirius said after a minute. "No, fuck that, blame yourself completely."

"Thanks, Black. You help _soooo_ much."

"I know." Sirius gave a half-smile and Noelle felt her heart flutter a bit. "Does that mean you'll go to Hogsmeade with me?"

It was such a casual question, yet Noelle was shocked by it. Did she want to go?

Sure. Why not?

"Okay," Noelle said. "Next week. Hogsmeade. I can do that."

Sirius gave a smug smile.

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><p><strong>Happy, right? Well, sorry my NoelleSirius people, but there is going to be a lot of drama for these too...and many people are going to despise Sirius. **

**Review?**


	22. Who's Afraid of the Bad Blue Wolf?

**The authoress jumps out and addresses her reviewers. "My dear reviewers," she says and the reviewers pause in their angry rampage at her. "I am terribly sorry that I haven't updated in a while, but I have a very good reason! I am doing NaNoWriMo!"**

**Instead of the expected response, said reviewers jump her and the mangled remains - a lock of hair, a finger and a eye - are all that's left. **

**Yes, I'm crappy. I apologize for that. Yes, I probably won't be updating in November. You all hate me for that. Very sorry. Oodles of drama in this chapter and - what's this? A plot?**

**Happy Halloween, you all! Because it's, you know, HALLOWEEN! 10/31 baby!**

**Thanks to PhoenixFanatic999 for betaing!**

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><p>Chapter Twenty: Who's Afraid of the Bad Blue Wolf?<p>

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><p>Review Replies:<strong> WentToManderleyAgain:<strong> I love you and I'm sorry that I'm unable to beta for you my dear! And Sirius and Noelle are up for a lot of torture... *rubs hands together evilly* Mwa ha ha ha** CrazilyObsessed:** Oh god, now I feel depressed for leaving you without updating, gosh I'm so sorry! You are so sweet, though! Thank you! And...yes..I am looking forward to having my life intact. LOL!** strukkfirst:** Alice is a sad little girl because nobody is paying attention to her. Poor Alice. I should really clarify that, though, haha. Thanks for pointing it out and...yeah, I'm happy about the pitchfork bit, lol. **DarkFirePixie:** YOU ARE JUST SO AWESOME! I LOVE YOU! You're so nice! HEre I am, updating!** Nizuna Fujieda: **Thank you!** clovetF: **Well, Marna has auburn hair and dark eyes, at least in my imagination. And haha, you're one of the only people who actually like Marna, so thank you for that!** HGromanticsap:** I think I sent you a PM about this already because I was so excited about the mention of DOCTOR WHOOOOO!** faeriemaiden96:** Yeah, I doubt that I could ever make someone despise him, but I am going to give it my best shot! *Rubs hands together for the second time*** Hi:** Hellloooooo! Thank you for your amazing/superfantastic/skdafklsdjf review! There's so much in it that I doubt that I'll be able to answer all of it, but I will give it my best shot! Ummmm, I'm so glad that you like the story, and I'm so glad that I got your attention with my writing! Thank sosososo much!** amadayasuki:** D** Polkadot:** Yesssss more drama, ha-ha! Noelle and Sirius are working out...for the time being *cue mysterious music* I think that Alice just fell apart because Annabel was talking to someone that Alice knew that Annabel hated, and so Alice was just trying to say something and Annabel, well shunned her. A jealous Annabel. Well, what do you know. *wink wink, nudge nudge*** Clevernugget:** Oh you poor poor dear. You know, if you're looking for an ah-mazing Lily/James fic, you should try Commentarius. Well, why don't you try to write the whole thing as a different thing... You could use Yarny. Yarny's this online site that you can upload your work to so that it'll be like, backup. Just a pointer.** Laez Nena:** Noelle and Sirius are possibly one of my favorite characters to type up...I can make them snog any time I want them too. Like, with Annabel and David I imagine that they'll be the more hand-holding type, Alice'll be too shy to snog in sight of everyone, and Lily and James won't get together until seventh year. Yeah, I'm trying not to make them friends. I think I'm going to do a huge blowup at some time. A ruined Annabel's life! How clever! *me then huggles Shirakage* Thanks for reading!** InsaneIsMyMiddleName:** ALRIGHT FOR HP FICTION! *round of applause* I'm glad you missed it!. H-have fun reading! OH gosh, I'm so flattered! Most people are really freaked out about Crystal (and I don't blame them) She appears in this chapter, actually. There's not much of a plot really *Sheepish look* but I'm glad you like what remains of one! It's funny really, it was your review that made me realize, "Oh god, I haven't updated in ages!" so THANK YOU VERY MUCH! *waves* Annnd here's the update!

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

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><p>Quote: We're Vikings. It's an occupational hazard. ~Hiccup; <em>How to Train Your Dragon<em>

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><p>It was midnight when Fauna finished her essay (finally) and trudged back up the Ravenclaw staircase. What a mess the whole day had been; that damned Annabel making a fuss, and sensible Marna acting like she was high.<p>

Fauna stretched and heard her back crack as she twisted around. The weariness settled in her bones, aching everywhere, and she yawned. She was so tired, so very tired...

...and so very disappointed.

How unlike David, to miss a study session with her. No doubt he was off conversing with a friend—or perhaps conversing with one of Annabel's friends. She ground her teeth, jealousy gnawing at her.

She hated Annabel.

That goody-goody attitude, her mediocre grades, all of that. Fauna never could figure out why David liked her. Sure, Annabel was good-looking, but her voice was so annoying, she never took anything seriously, and when she did, she burst into tears. Burst into tears! Fauna rarely cried!

That was why, when she walked into her dorm, she did not expect to see a couple snogging.

On her bed.

Snogging on her bed.

Fauna gave an inarticulate growl and scowled at the two until they broke apart. Pink lipstick was smeared over the boy's mouth, and the girl's hair was mussed as they hastily removed their hands from each other. "What the _hell_ are you two doing?" Fauna snarled. She was tired, she was cranky, her dark brown hair was piled up in a hapazard bun that was not flattering to her at all, and she wanted to go to bed. Was going to sleep usually this difficult?

"Eep!"

Fauna didn't know the girl or the boy at all. They looked to be younger than her, and probably went into the wrong dorm to snog.

"What are you doing here?" squeaked the girl.

"Going to bed," Fauna said, like it was obvious.

"There's a party though! For sixth and seventh years!"

"So you thought you could all snog?"

As the boy and the girl exchanged guilty looks, Fauna rolled her eyes. "Get out," she ordered, and then was struck by a thought. "How did he get up the girl's staircase?"

But by that time, they were gone.

Now that Fauna thought about it, there _was_ a party. Some Hufflepuffs hosted it this time; a welcome break from the Gryffindors. Fauna had been so preoccupied with the thoughts of David and Annabel that she hadn't even remembered. No big deal, though. Nobody else was in the dorm, so as she changed, it was very quiet.

It wasn't fair. David only asked Annabel out because she was cute and funny, while Fauna liked David since they first met. He was so nice, so _real_ that she instantly liked him, and then they became friends...

Unrequited love, that's what it was.

Fauna felt her heart being ripped into tiny little pieces, and furiously dabbed at her quickly dampening eyes. Her hand curled around the little pebble in her pocket—she had found it earlier that week, a brilliant blue stone with gold specks that she bragged about freely.

She had to get out of there, that silent place, without the quiet breathing of her friends, so she wrapped two or three blankets around her, trudged downstairs with a pillow and laid down on the couch. It was just big enough for her, and she stayed there, watching the fire slowly die down, the fiery imprint lingering in her eyes long after it died. And then there was a terrible sound, the feeling of the pebble being ripped out of her hand, and all was black.

And that was how her friends found her, after they trooped back to the common room at four in the morning. She was blue as death, still, and though she was breathing, they could not wake her. And even worse, a smile curved her purple lips.

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><p>Annabel woke up in her room, warm and toasty. Lily was perched on the side of her bed, with Alice and Noelle right behind her. All looked anxious.<p>

"Anna?" Lily said quietly. "Anna, are you awake?"

"Yeah," yawned Annabel, and then the horrible events of yesterday flooded her mind. She sat up, abruptly, and hit her head on the headboard. "Oh Merlin...Alice!"

Annabel propelled herself out of the bed, slipped on a forgotten tissue, and fell into Noelle's bed. She sat up, and launched herself at Alice.

The tears were coming again, tears that she simply could not stop. She was crying, giving apologies that were half-garbled, and Alice had a panicked look on her face as Annabel cried.

Then Noelle's hands were on her. Noelle was looking more radiant than ever, a broad grin spreading her face, though she was trying to keep it down.

"Annabel, calm down," Noelle said placidly, like Annabel wasn't just crying her guts out. "We're all in a muddle, I know, but you really have to stop crying."

So Annabel did stop crying. And then the hiccuping began and she started crying again; laughing, crying and hiccuping through the laughter and tears.

Lily shook her head with an amused smile. "Merlin, Anna."

Alice was completely calm as well. Her haircut fit her quite well, Annabel figured. "Oh Annabel," Alice said with a small smile. "It's _partially_ my fault too. I overreacted; sorry for that."

Annabel gave a matching smile. "I've been an emotional wreck lately, and I'm sorry for _that_."

"It's just that..." Alice took a deep sigh and then grinned, brightly. "Frank asked me out."

"Oh. _Oh._ OH!" Annabel clasped her hands together. "Oh Alice! That's just amazing!"

"And when I went to tell Blake, he was indisposed. It turns out that he ate something that didn't agree with him." Lily shook her head, giving a sigh. "The poor guy. I went to bring him flowers last night and he was positively _green_."

Noelle giggled. "And as for _me_, Sirius asked me out!"

They all gaped at her.

And then, all at once, they all started cheering and giggling.

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><p>"Fauna!"<p>

Charlotte's scream echoed through the castle as she tore after her twin sister. Tears dripped from her cheeks. "NO! Fauna! DO NOT DIE ON ME!"

"She's not dead, Miss Jones." McGonagall's voice was very crisp.

Charlotte was weeping, she was on her knees, crying. While Annabel's tears were harsh, hers were anguished, her face blotchy red. She took Fauna's hand; it was cold and purple. "Oh Fauna," she whispered miserably. "Fauna, Fauna."

"She's not dead!"

Charlotte looked up. "What?"

A ray of hope.

"She's not dead. She's in a perpetual state of sleep."

"She's BLUE!" Charlotte was on her feet, eyes flashing angrily. "Tell me, Professor, if she's not dead, then why is she BLUE?"

"Merely a side effect."

In truth, Minerva McGonagall was feeling quite weak herself with worry. But she told herself sternly to act brave—if not for her sake, then for Charlotte.

Charlotte herself was not feeling satisfied at all, but the hope helped her enough so that she wasn't panicking crazily anymore. It was silly to panic, she told herself. So why was she doing it?

But if Fauna died, she just wished that David knew how her sister felt.

And she dearly hoped that he would feel the same.

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><p>It was buzzing in the air, and everyone was talking about it. If Annabel had expected that people would ask her about what happened yesterday, she was sorely mistaken. Everyone was talking about Fauna.<p>

This mildly surprised Annabel. She didn't hear most of the gossip—only bits and pieces like 'purple' and 'Fauna' and so forth—so it gave her a great shock when Seraphine Son came up and blurted out, "Did you hear what happened to Fauna?"

"No," Lily said fastidiously. She'd never liked Seraphine much, and even less after Seraphine spread the word that Lily and Blake had gotten to second base (which they hadn't, anyway.) She glared at the black-haired girl, but her curiousity got ahold of her. "What happened?"

Seraphine returned her glare and pointedly turned to Annabel. "She was found at four o' clock in the morning, apparently 'sleeping' but they couldn't wake her up and...she was blue! Blue and purple! Can you imagine that?"

"Just a petty prank," Noelle said idly. "Perhaps a sleep charm. It'll wear off."

"But the big news is that Dumbledore was talking to Professor McGonagall and he said that it was dark magic! Isn't that exciting?"

Annabel had to admit, she'd never liked Fauna much, but it was awful. "Is she alright?" Annabel asked anxiously.

Alice gave a horrified gasp. "Dark magic? Exciting? You can't think that it might be..." Her voice dropped dramatically, "You-Know-Who?"

"Don't be stupid," said Seraphine. "He wouldn't dare attack Hogwarts with Dumbledore around. Dumbledore's the only person who can scare some wit into You-Know-Who...Oh! I've said too much!" Her normally tanned face blanched white and she scurried off.

"I should go talk to David," Annabel said, running off.

She found David, talking with his friends. He turned to Annabel when she approached, a pleased smile appearing on his face—though it seemed a bit strained—and she gasped out, "I heard what happened to Fauna."

The smile disappeared, replaced by worry. "Yeah. She still hasn't woken up."

Annabel quickly kissed David. "Is she alright?"

"I thought you didn't like her."

_I don't, really_, Annabel thought, but then said out loud, "She still doesn't deserve to die."

David looked grim. He turned to a girl who was weeping quietly—Annabel believed that her name was Tisha—and said, "You 'kay?"

Tisha shook her head furiously. "We shouldn't have gone to the party," she lamented. "Fauna doesn't like sleeping in the dorm alone. That's why she slept in the common room. It's all our fault!" She broke out into fresh crying. "And...and that _smile—"_

"Tish!" The girl with purple eyes, Marie, glared at Tisha. "Don't say anything!"

Her eyes, too, were red-tinged from crying, but Marie seemed to be holding together fairly well.

"It's Annabel," David pointed out. "She's my girlfriend."

Marie gave him an exasperated look, patting Tisha on the back, and then sighed. "We found Fauna blue and purple, with a smile on her face—" Marie took a deep breath before continuing, "—and now we're all freaking out."

"But _why_?" persisted Annabel.

"That pebble," Tisha said ferociously.

"It was just a pebble," David said. He looked cute at that moment, Annabel noted idly, with his hair flopping into his eyes and that worried look on his face. He always was so concerned about his friends. Perhaps that's why she went out with him...that strange compassion he always had. "What harm could it do?"

"We couldn't find it after," shot back Tisha.

Marie pursed her lips and gave Annabel a forced smile. "Annabel, I like you and everything, but we...we all need to be alone right now..."

"I understand," Annabel said, giving a bird-like nod. She gave David another kiss and walked off.

How awful. That was all she could think for the next hour, and as a result, botched up Transfiguration. She created by accident a giant osprey-eagle-chicken-lizard-horse thing that McGonagall gave her _the look_ for and transfigured it back into a cup.

"Concentrate, Ms. Foster," McGonagall said wearily.

"Sorry," Annabel whispered.

Her day only got worse. Nothing bad compared to yesterday, but still fairly awful.

Why?

Because of a boy named Blake.

Who liked to smoochy-smooch Lily.

As Blake and Lily lip-locked, it took Remus, Sirius and Peter all together to keep James to the floor, but the kissing couple didn't take any notice. And Noelle had to take James' wand, with Alice and Frank holding on to James' kicking feet.

So, altogether, six people.

"All for one boy," snorted Annabel, watching with amusement. As disgusting noises came from Lily and Blake, she contemplated throwing a glass of water over them. As even _more_ disgusting noises came from them, she actually threw a glass of water over them.

"Fuck!" shouted Blake.

"You two are disgusting," Annabel scoffed.

Lily, for once, didn't admonish Annabel, instead with a dreamy look on her face. Then she noticed the fighting James and her face darkened.

"James Potter!" she shouted. "You are ridiculous!"

Lily marched off, Blake running after her (his hair was soaked) and James finally stopped writhing. The boys got off of him.

"Prongs," Sirius said world-wisely.

He and James seemed to have an entire conversation in a few seconds and then James sighed and drooped his head.

"I'm sorry," Alice whispered.

James drew Alice into a hug, which lasted for a moment or two before he let her go. Everyone in the Great Hall was staring at their little group as Annabel took James' hand and helped him up. He put his arm around her and, accompanied by Alice and Remus, walked out of the Hall. Noelle and Sirius bent their heads towards each other and started whispering softly while Frank calmly started eating again.

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><p>Noelle was in the common room, and it was eleven o' clock at night. Which is why she was rather surprised when Sirius Black came into the common room.<p>

Noelle raised an eyebrow. "Why so late?"

"Detention," snorted Sirius.

"Detention doesn't last that long."

She was suspicious—and who would blame her? Only people who were in a broom cupboard came back at eleven at night.

"It does when I have to clean the entire Potions classroom."  
>Noelle nodded, acknowledging that, before going back to her book. One leg was slung over the other, her head on the sofa armrest. So she was surprised when Sirius plopped down and started kissing her.<p>

Though she enjoyed it.

A vision of Alice's disgusted face floated in her mind and she stifled a giggle, her lips involuntarily smiling. Sirius pulled back, giving a confused look.

"Nothing," Noelle said, shifting to make room for him on the chair. "I just thought that my friends would totally be disgusted if they saw us right now."

Sirius gave a warm chuckle, the sound making her laugh, and started kissing her again, brief, short kisses that made her heady and dizzy.

Then he leaned forward.

"What do you know about Remus?" he asked, his lips a breath away from hers.

Noelle tried to concentrate. Remus? He was nice, funny, brown haired, boyfriend to Marna, etcetera, etcetera. "He's Moony?"

Sirius kissed her again. "So you know?"

"Know what?" breathed Noelle.

Know that Remus was a werewolf? _Well duh_. Noelle was a frequent night explorer, and had yet to be caught. One night she had seen Remus gone into the Whomping Willow, James, Sirius and Peter following after, and since it was a full night, she had waited. Presently, the howl of a wolf came. And Remus was always sick after the full moon. It didn't take a genius to figure it out.

"You know what I mean," Sirius said.

She knew what he meant.

But it was her secret.

"What, is Remus cheating on Marna?" Noelle giggled. "There are some rumors going on about you Marauders."

Sirius pulled a face. "Gross."

Now it was Noelle's turn. She sidled out from under Sirius, and then, leaned forward (his eyes closed) and then was gone with a brisk wind, up the girl's staircase.

When she was gone, Sirius punched the chair. "Damn," he muttered.

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><p>Marna was miserable.<p>

And certain that Annabel hated her.

Those little looks that Annabel gave her all them time—and when Marna had tried to make friends with Annabel, Annabel and Alice had shouted at each other. Then, the next day, they were friends again. This made Marna feel like they had somehow _planned_ out the fight, just to get rid of her.

But Annabel's tears were real...right?

Marna covered her head, dark hair falling over her face. It hurt to be hated by someone whose friendship she coveted. And Remus was sweet—sweet, kind, amazing, and a really great kisser. And friends with Annabel, Lily, Alice and Noelle. Four girls that wouldn't even spare her a glance.

Perhaps they thought that they were being nice to everyone. Perhaps they thought that they weren't the most popular people. And they weren't, really. But they were the nicest popular people. Nothing like Clara Jurasa.

And the Marauders.

They all looked down on her, save Remus. Even Peter gave her a look of disapproval. She wanted to be prettier, funnier, more _dazzling_. It wasn't fair that her friend, Tina, was such a flirt and got most of her boys, while Marna only had two boyfriends in her six years here.

Really, it wasn't fair.

"Shut up, Marna," Marna growled at herself, hating herself for being so weak.

Something flashed in the corner of her eye. Something blue.

A woman stepped out of the darkness. A gorgeous woman, with long golden hair and impossibly blue eyes, with a long flowing dress that was layered with white satin and gauzy stuff. Her face was beautiful, but cold, cold.

"Who are you?" Marna asked warily, feeling for her wand. The woman raised her hand and the wand flew towards it.

Marna gasped, backing up. Her back hit the wall.

"Hello Marna," the woman said. From her neck hung a golden chain with a stone on it, a brilliant blue stone with gold flecks on it. Her other hand was outstretched, as if she was petting something.

It materialized.

It was a wolf. No—not a wolf. A large dark blue dog-like creature with golden eyes and teeth as sharp as a knife and twice as long as Marna's hands. It was just a little smaller than the woman, but still imposing.

"Who are you?" cried Marna, dread settling over her heart. "Why are you here?"

Tears leaked out of her eyes.

"My name is Crystal," Crystal said airily. "And this is my pet, Skurlharn."

Skurlharn growled, a soft sound.

"What are you going to do to me?" Marna said, casting a desperate look at the door behind Skurlharn. Skurlharn growled some more, warning her not to try.

"You'll strike a blow at the heart of Remus Lupin," remarked Crystal. "His girlfriend."

She was going to kill her.

"Why me?" Marna asked miserably.

_Why me?_

"Well, I thought that Fauna, that dear, would strike a blow at Annabel, but it turns out that those two aren't friends, so I have to resort to you. What a shame."

Skurlharn leapt, and his claws dug into Marna's skin. He breathed a dark blue mist over Marna, who gasped out. There was a terrible noise, the noise of a dog, and the blue mist sank into Marna's skin. Darkness rose, closing her eyes.

_So this is what it's like to die_.

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><p>A girl raced up the Gryffindor boy's staircase. She was small, petite, easily a second-year, sent by Noelle. She burst into the sixth year boy's dorm, and Remus and James looked up, confused. Sirius jumped into the bathroom before the girl could see that he wasn't wearing trousers.<p>

"Remus Lupin?" asked the second-year, panting, hands on knees.

"Yes?" responded Remus, confused.

"Marna," said the girl. "She's blue, like Fauna. She was found in the Charms Classroom."

Remus stared for a moment longer. And then—running as fast as his long legs enabled him too—he ran towards the Charms Classroom.

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><p><strong>I'm kicking it up a notch! - Starship reference, haha. So, I WILL try to update in November, (the more reviews, the more I'm persuaded too) and let's try to hit 200 reviews? Please?<strong>

**Also, after you review, here's a few fanfiction recommendations for you lot!**

**Girl Behind The Curtain by whenthewallscomecrashingdown. It's a Rose/Scorpius fiction, really amazing, but incomplete.**

**Miss Hogwarts by JennaMae. Not for the prudish! It's hilarious, a Ginny/Harry, and has a lot of water balloon...chestal areas. Not for the faint-hearted. COMPLETE!**

**Hold Me While I'm Here by Nitte iz OH GOD where do I start? This is hands-down one of the most amazing fics I've ever read on this site. It's just..wow. And she doesn't update for ages, though, lol. But honestly? This is worth the wait. Seriously. INCOMPLETE.**

**Commentarius by Bee Daily. I've recommended this one, but whenever I recommend Hold Me While I'm Here, I cannot help but recommend this one as well. INCOMPLETE, LIly/James, FUNNYYYYY!**

**Becoming Neville by Jedi Rita. Neville/Harry, but not slash. More of a friendship sort. It's just too fantastic for words. COMPLETE!**

**And that's all! Review? **


	23. The Using of the Unexpecting

**Hello! Now that November is finally over, I have posted again! Sorry for the uber-short chapter, but never fear! The next chapter will be super long, and by super long, I mean super long_. _****Haha. Um, I really don't have much to say, so onto the rest of this, eh? By the way, if your name never shows up, PLEASE contact me!**

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><p>Chapter Twenty-One: The Using of the Unexpecting<p>

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><p>Review Replies: <strong>Amehhh:<strong> *winces* Seven days...soon enough for you, haha? Thank you!** Melodiux:** Thank you!** Hellfire Putten Ninja:** Hee hee hee... you'll just have to wait and see. **Ronja Elida 'Potterhead:** Awwwww, thank you my dear! That's so sweet of you!** Zeta:** Haha, thank you. However, I'm trying to speed things up a tad because I sorta have two plotlines in one plotline, so they'll have to solve the problem by the end of sixth year, but yeah. Thanks for asking!** Polkadot: ** Thank you! And *cringes* the NanoWrimo novel is utter crap. Crappier than this story, really, so it's quite sad. But thank you for making me smile!** Strukkfirst: **Yeah, Girl Behind the Curtain is FANTASTIC! I think I'm in love with the idea of Rose/Scorp. I...updated in november? One day before November ends? **CharlieBoxx:** Aww! Thank you so very much! I'm glad you think so! And I'm using a lot of exclamation points!** Clevernugget:** All right! Tell me what is is when you write it, kay? Unless I don't know the fandom...in which I will be very sad and start reading/watching the fandom, haha.** Hi:** At this point in the story, I have no idea whether Marna and Remus will break up first or David and Annabel. However, I will tell you that Remus and Annabel are not the type to cheat on their respective partners, so you can count on no pre-snogging in which either of them are conscious. Heehee. **Kistbydasun:** Thank you! **CrazilyObsessed:** HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY! *blows one of those birthday horns and throws confetti into the air*** faeriemaiden96:** Why thank you! I consider that a very, very amazing compliment! THANK YOU!** HGromanticsap:** Jack is the smexiest man in the entire series of Doctor Who. I mean...WHOA. I think I was in heaven in that two-parter conclusion to season one. What about you? And Lily and James are going to get together in seventh grade, mostly because I'm a canon nazi. ** The She Wolf Moony:** SOmehow, my review reply to you did NOT show up, but thank you so much for your review! I think I sent you a PM about it, really. And yes, haha, when I saw your review I started laughing because I totally didn't think that anyone would think that! **WentToManderleyAgain:** Trick or treating is BAMF and no-one can convince me otherwise, lol. Well I'm glad you're feeling bad for Marna, Em. Otherwise, what kinda character would she be? I mean, she's dying, and some people would be like, "BRING OUT THE CONFETTI YO!" Hahahahahaha. Not really. ** Mabel: ***Thumbs up*** clovetF:** Danke! German for thank you! _I think_. **Nizuna Fujieda:** Honestly, I'm surprised you've stuck this far with me, heh. You're possibly one of the only ones who've been here for dis long!

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

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><p>Quote: I saw you and it made my day until you said, "Hi, do I know you?" ~Anonymous.<p>

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><p>"Oh Marna. Marna, Marna, Marna."<p>

It was Remus who whispered this as he looked at a blue Marna. The sun shone brightly through the windows; it had been early morning when the little girl—had she been a second year?—came into the boy's dorm to tell them that Marna was blue. She wasn't dead, not yet, but she was in the same state that Fauna was.

"I just don't understand," whispered Madam Pomfrey.

"Dumbledore," Remus said.

"What?" asked Madam Pomfrey.

"Dumbledore!" shouted Remus, eyes wild. "I'm going to go talk to him."

"Remus, wait!"

But the doors had already slammed shut. People leapt out of Remus' way—well, all except for one.

Annabel.

He remembered belatedly that they had planned to study together in the morning; her books were still with her.

She dragged him into a classroom, shut the door.

"Remus!" Annabel said. "I-I heard what happened."

"Annabel, get out of my way."

A stinging slap. Remus' head jerked to the left and he reached up to feel his cheek. "Ouch!" he snarled. "What the fuck was that for?"

"That was for not thinking clearly!" yelled Annabel. "REMUS! Think! What are you doing?"

"I'm going to Headmaster Dumbledore!" Remus shouted back. "He's the only one who can help!"

"He's doing the best that he can!" Annabel exclaimed. "He's trying, Remus. I just passed him in the hallway."

"WELL IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"

Quiet. Utter quiet as the two of them stared at each other and Annabel realized that they were about the same height and that they were very, very close. Then Remus sighed, leaning forward until his head rested on her shoulder. Her arms went reflexively over him, patting his back, rubbing circles on his back. "The first girlfriend I've had in a long time and she's attacked by the blue monster."

Annabel felt a twinge of jealousy, but stomped it down. "You know," she said lightly. "Marna tried to become friends with me."

Remus pulled back; the look on his face was heartbreaking. "She did?"

"She did," Annabel said. "All for you."

He turned away, but not before she saw that his eyes shone slightly with a film of tears. "Hey now," she said reprovingly. "You don't have to be that manly."

The wrong thing to say. He tore away from her and was out of the classroom door before Annabel realized that she said the wrong thing. As she did, she scrambled out of the classroom and after him. "Remus, wait!"

"Gods damn, Annabel," Remus snarled, and she flinched. "Damnation. Let. Me. Go."

"No!"

He turned away, fully ready to walk away to find Dumbledore, but she snatched at his arm. "Remus—" She looked around helplessly as he continued walking, snatched up her wand. "_Aguamenti_."

A stream of water came out and hit him in the face. Remus cursed out loud and whirled around, brown hair dripping into his eyes. "Annabel, what the hell?"

"MERLIN!" Annabel shrieked, and several second-years scuttled away with a slightly frightened expression. "WHY DO YOU NEVER LISTEN?"

"I AM LISTENING!" shouted Remus.

She grabbed him by the shoulders, shook him hard. "Come with me," she said angrily, not taking 'no' for an answer. Annabel grabbed him by the collar. "There's obviously only one person who can talk sense into you."

"Who?"

One person who could...

Oh...

Remus fervently wished that Annabel didn't know so much about him.

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><p>She was already there when Annabel dragged him over to the tree outside. As gorgeous as he remembered her, her sunny blonde hair curled fetchingly around a heart-shaped face, curvaceous body and big brown eyes.<p>

His ex-girlfriend, Rhenni.

They had dated in fourth year for about three months before he broke it off. Even so, she always managed to calm him down.

"Annabel," Rhenni said, her smooth low voice surprised. "What happened? Remus?"

"Fuck, Annabel," Remus growled. "Really? That is below the belt."

"She's the only one who can talk reason into your _stupid_, _thick_ mind." Annabel turned to Rhenni with a sigh. "Sorry. Bad day. He's been having a worse day than me, actually. I was hoping that you could calm him down. You always manage to."

"Sure," Rhenni said before turning her dark eyes on Remus. "Alright, Remus, what's going on?"

Annabel left silently. Remus looked around before taking a seat next to Rhenni. "Nothing," he mumbled, catching the figure of Professor Feibe sitting on a bench not too far away from them.

"Oh really?" Rhenni arched one perfectly plucked eyebrow.

Remus looked around, desperate for a distraction. He saw Lily and Blake making out; he quickly averted his gaze. "My girlfriend, Marna—"

"Yes, I know her. Sweet kid."

"She's not a kid," Remus defended, and then sighed. "She was attacked by the monster that attacked Fauna."

"Mm." Rhenni seemed to be processing this. "The question is..."

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><p>Remus seemed significantly calmer when Annabel came back to see him later that day. He was still sad and lonely, but he wasn't about go drop everything to go and see Dumbledore. At least, that was what she thought.<p>

"You alright?" Annabel asked, resisting the urge to sweep away the lock of hair that was hanging in front of Remus' face.

"Yeah, yeah," mumbled Remus.

They were in an empty hallway, her feet echoed as her shoes hit the ground. Suddenly, he swept her up in a huge hug, his cheek pressed against hers. He smelled of peppermint, a curious scent, and she breathed it in just slightly.

"Thank you," he murmured into her ear, his breath tickling her cheek. "For...for everything."

Annabel hugged him tightly and then let go. They immediately averted each others eyes, coughing awkwardly.

"Should we—"

"Yeah, we should—"

"Gryffindor tower—"

"Yeah, let's go..."

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><p>It was dangerously close to a full moon and James Potter was prankless.<p>

He had a notebook full of prank ideas, and a pencil, but the pencil lay still in his hand and he stared at it slightly.

Then he reached over and grabbed a new notebook.

This notebook was a notebook that nobody knew of. It was full of...drawings. When James was a boy, barely four years old, his father had shown him the art of drawing and James had picked it up. While he was definitely not proficent, he wasn't that bad at all. After all, he'd been drawing for the past ten years; if he wasn't good, then he was screwed.

He opened the pad of paper to a new sheet. It was inviting; white and large, an expanse that just called to be drawn on.

James never drew Lily. It surprised him, but James realized quickly that it was because he was afraid that he would never be able to draw her...right. Somehow, he was certain that he would mess up. But today...

He picked up his pencil, and he began to draw. She had a small nose, and large green, almond-shaped eyes. Her hair always curled slightly at the temples and her eyebrows were drawn together as she studied...a quill was gripped in her hand, the tip waving in the air. She had a look of fierce concentration on her face, like she always did when she was working. He liked it when her hair was down, so he drew it down (though she never let it down.)

When he was done, James blushed and hid the sketchbook.

He did not want to see the final result.

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><p>Sirius was furious.<p>

"Alright, Moony," he said, banging into the dorm. Peter squeaked and fell off the bed, and then came back up, blushing madly. "This has got to stop."

Remus looked up from where he was examining his hands. "What? What did I do?"

"Nothing!" Sirius kicked the door, and first years downstairs gave a fright at that sound. "That's it! You do abso-fucking-lutely NOTHING!"

"Have to agree with Padfoot there," Peter said.

Sirius' eyes softened. "Moony, mate, I know that you care about Marna. So why mope here? You should be looking for a cure."

"There is none," Remus said.

He fell to the floor with a bang as the larger boy tackled him to the floor. "Oh crap!" shouted Remus, yelping as Sirius accidentally kneed him where it really hurt. "Shit! PADFOOT!"

"Sorry," said Sirius and adjusted himself so that he was no longer...er...hurting Remus. Remus' eyes were watering, however. "But mate, stop. Stop now. God damn."

Sirius turned to James for help and James shrugged. He had been in a curious mood ever since they had gotten back to the dorm, staring up at the ceiling.

"Recite," said Sirius to Moony.

Remus looked confused. "What?"

Sirius jumped up, easily slipping into Padfoot as he came. A large, shaggy black dog paced around the room, growling and scraping at walls until it morphed back into Sirius. "Alright," he said. "I'll be right back."

"Wait—no! Padfoot! SIRIUS BLACK!"

But Sirius had already gone out of the room.

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><p>"Damnations!" Sirius paced.<p>

Noelle watched him, her long blonde hair brushing her sides. "What?" she asked.

"You know that Moony's a werewolf! Don't you?" snapped Sirius.

"What..."

She couldn't deny it.

She really couldn't.

"Yes, I know," she said. "Question is, how do you know?"

"Know what?"

"That I know?"

He turned, and in his eyes was murderous rage. "Because you, damn woman, keep dropping hints."

"Damn woman?" Noelle jumped to her feet. "You bastard! How dare you call me a damn woman!"

"How dare you call me a bastard!"

Then they were in each other faces, yelling the worst insults possible.

And then.

Noelle stopped. "What are we doing?" she asked.

"Yelling at each other?" Sirius replied.

Tears suddenly filled Noelle's eyes, tears that threatened to overfill but didn't. Then she turned and ran out of the room.

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><p>"YOU DID WHAT?"<p>

Remus threw his hands up in exasperation. "You'd think that you'd learn after the Snape incident last year," he snarled.

Sirius winced. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" He suddenly stiffened. "And besides! I did it for you."

"You? And you don't even care about what Noelle is possibly feeling? Merlin, Sirius, I didn't know you could be so damn thick."

"I did it for you!"

"You already said that," snapped Remus, running a hand through his hair so that it stuck up everywhere erratically. "You were just using her?"

"Aw, don't think of it like that," Sirius said.

"Sirius," said James, and they instantly knew that it really was serious. James rarely said Sirius, preferring 'Padfoot' or something else like that, and even if he did say Sirius, he usually said it in a light-hearted way. This, however, this was drop-dead serious. "You were using Noelle?"

"Yes, I was," said Sirius. "Fine, Prongs, I was using Noelle. It was partially because she knew that Moony was a werewolf and it was partially because she's hot. But it's not like she'll really care. I mean, I'll just dump her."

"For Merlin's sake!" hissed Peter. "Even I'm not that idiotic, Padfoot." Even though Peter nearly worshipped Sirius, he also had a backbone that sometimes showed up and always surprised them. The rest of the Marauders stared at him momentarily, and returned to glaring at Sirius.

"Fine then!" Sirius exclaimed. "I'm glad to see that all of you don't care that I just sacrificed one of the hottest girls in school just to help out Moony! Besides, it's not like she's even interesting, and she hates me anyway. I don't know why she went out with me in the first place."

He stalked off.

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><p>"He's a wanker," Noelle said angrily. "A horny wanker who likes to cheat on girls, the two-timing bastard."<p>

Annabel and Alice nodded sympathetically, having already heard this about ten times.

They were in the girl's bathroom, deeming that the girl's common room was 'unsafe' because, and then...

...a boy burst into the girl's bathroom.

Noelle stopped in the middle of her rant and stared, shell-shocked.

"Remus?" she asked, completely confused. "What the _hell_ are you doing in the girl's bathroom?"

Another boy skidded into the bathroom.

"James!" Alice said, who was probably on the best terms with James. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"We're looking for Noelle," James said.

"If you're here for the-"

"-sad, sorry excuse of a best friend I've got, then no, we're not here for him. Or because of him, really," said Remus. "Actually, yes. We're here because of him. But he didn't send us to do his dirty work. We're here...on our own...free will...Hello!"

Annabel stared at him. Alice stared at him. Noelle stared at him. James stared at him.

"Right," Remus said awkwardly.

"Well, say what you have to say and then get the hell outta here," Noelle said wearily.

"What's Sirius' favorite color?"

"You're his best friend; you ought to know."

"Ah, but we want to know what you think."

She glared at him momentarily.

"Red," she said. "It's red."

Remus shot James a look, who groaned and went over to hit his head on the wall.

"What, was it a bet or something?" Noelle was starting to look very mad. "I do _not_ want to be any part of a bet, thank you very much."

"No, no," Remus said hastily. "Lovely seeing you all, Annabel: I'll see you tomorrow to study. Sorry."

"Remus—wait!"

Annabel turned to go after him, and then turned to Noelle.

"Go," said Noelle.

Annabel nodded in thanks and went after Remus.

Her feet padded against the ground as she reached out for Remus and then sent them both tumbling to the ground by accident. She blushed, James looking on in amusement. "Sorry," she said, rolling off of him with a red face. "Um. Just saying. I can't make the whole study thing..."

"All right," said Remus. "Okay." His hand touched hers and it was like fire. She blushed furiously while James raised an eyebrow. Annabel stood up, brushed off her skirts and fairly ran away.

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><p>"Shit!" Crystal's eyes narrowed as she strode out of Hogwarts in her Professor Feibe guise. As she was out of sight, she dropped the mask and turned to where she knew that Charles would be.<p>

His mouth sought hers, hard and hungry; she allowed him to kiss her for a little while before she pulled away. "Any success?" she asked. "That damn young werewolf doesn't trust me. He never talks to me, is very evasive, and every arrow I throw his way he dodges. I'm contemplating sending Skurlharn after Annabel Foster, but that wouldn't do any good."

"What about that girl? Rhenni?"

"Ah, Rhenni Bracken." Crystal's mouth curved into a smile. "Very good, Charles. His voice of reason...and when it's gone..."

He hesitantly touched her cheek, she let him. "Good boy," she murmured, putting his hand on where her throat was, letting him feel her pulse race as he dipped to graze his lips over her collarbone. "But I need to know more."

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><p><strong>Review?<strong>


	24. Countdown to Winter Break

**Hello! Well, at least I posted within two months...hahaha...and I really don't have much to say. Blech. But here is a fairly long chapter that I hope you all enjoy!**

**Also...**

**Fourteen reviews?**

***does a double take***

**I love you all!**

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><p>Chapter Twenty-Two: Countdown to Winter Break<p>

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><p>Review Replies:<strong> Maddaz a Hatter:<strong> Ooh, yes, I really do need to make that clearer, don't I? XD Thanks for pointing that out! **Clovetf:** Oh! Whew! Imagine if it wasn't...then I'd look even MORE foolish than I already do, bahaha.** Potterphile:** Awh! Thank you very much! Pushiness is always accepted and lurved.** faeriemaiden96:** ahahahaha. I like how you rant about Sirius and then, almost as an after thought, said that you liked my story. LOL! **Hi: **Oh believe me, if I wanted to make it a story without plot, I would have them snogging like...like Sirius and a female Sirius. Fifty pages of sexy time and never mind the plot.** ellabellabee:** I just want to say how much I love your name, lol. Ellabellabee. Sounds so...poetic, in a way. Thank you!** TheSheWolfMoony:** Gah. I really don't want to make y'all wait so long...it's just that I do invariably make it so...long!** thatweasleykid:** oddly enough, I thought that only a few people would pick up on the 'Sirius' favorite color bit' but I'm quite astonished at how many people have asked me about it. And thank you!** Nizuna Fujieda:** Awh! Thank you sooooo much! I'm really flattered! Annd here's the next chapter.** HGromanticsap:** Well, yes, Jack *sheepish grin* I think he's smexy, but David Tennant is super amazing too...but for me, Matt Smith is THE DOCTOR (and never mind that I'm biased because he's the first doctor I watched, hahahaha) David Tennant is really awesome...I re-watched the Christmas episode and just about screamed when he said, "Am I ginger?"** strukkfirst:** ee...is nine or ten days good enough? LOL!** WentToManderleyAgain:** Bwahahahahahaha, Em, I don't understand half of what you mean in that sentence. Sorry. XD** CrazilyObsessed:** I always look forward to your reviews, you know. You and TheSheWolfMoony and a couple others always have something good to say about my story and that makes me smile a little bashfully. Because my writing's not all that good lol.

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

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><p>Quote: I've been on a diet for two weeks and all I've lost is two weeks<p>

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><p>Potions.<p>

She was jittery, very nervous, and kept crossing and uncrossing her legs. Her seat partner, a boy by the name of Rangous Etherfeld, kept staring at her legs until she realized that all this fidgeting was just making her skirt ruck up, so she stopped fidgeting and smoothed out her skirt. She caught Remus looking at her and mouthing, "What's wrong?" and she couldn't answer.

She wouldn't answer.

Annabel groaned and poked the kettle. Thankfully it was cool. She wasn't looking forward to having a burned finger.

"YOU BLOODY GIT, POTTER!"

Three guesses to who that was.

"WHY, THE ABSOLUTE NERVE!"

Lily slapped James so hard—the hardest that she ever had, and to Annabel's shock, she was crying, crying hard. James didn't even looked fazed; instead he was looking aghast.

"Evans, I didn't mean to-"

Lily turned and ran out of the classroom. Annabel jumped up, looked at Slughorn, who nodded, and ran after her friend.

It wasn't hard to find Lily.

Annabel chased her up to the Astronomy tower, where she grabbed her friend and hugged her tight.

"Why can't it be over?" Lily sobbed.

"What did that wanker say?" Annabel asked soothingly.

Lily just continued to cry.

"Lily!"

"He was teasing Blake," Lily said flatly.

Annabel rocked back. _That's it_? she asked in her mind, but then waited.

"Then somehow the conversation turned to Sev and then it turned to me and then...and then...I don't know, Annabel!"

"He talked about Petunia."  
>Lily nodded.<p>

"How the hell does he know about Petunia?"

"I don't know!" Lily kicked the wall, and it didn't seem to hurt her at all. "I don't freaking know!"

Annabel groaned. Would this drama never end?

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><p>"Go apologize to her," Remus said to Sirius.<p>

"What? No! The great Sirius Black does not apologize to anyone!"

Remus was cranky. He'd just gotten back from staying besides Marna and talking to her and hoping—just hoping—that she would wake up.

And lo and behold! She did not wake up.

"You're being an arse," James sang from his bed.

"And you're being annoying!" Sirius sang back. "And besides. You made Lily Evans cry."

James fell off the bed with a thump and just stayed there, facedown on the floor. "Stop it," he said. "I'm already concocting an elaborate plan to make her love me."

"Well, you better kick it up a notch," said Remus. "Winter break is in a week."

"A week!" James' eyes were glittering. "Why, that's just enough time."

"You have that look on your face," Sirius said.

"What look?" snapped James.

"That look where it shows that you are thinking. And a thinking Prongs is a dangerous James."

"I am not!" James turned a furious red. "Dangerous, I mean. I do think."

"Whatever." Sirius stalked out of the room.

James and Remus instantly leaned towards each other.

"Bugger," Remus said softly. "She knew his favorite color: red. How did she know his favorite color? I only knew about it after he said, 'MY FAVORITE COLOR IS RED' and that's only because he's Padfoot! And he was drunk!"

"Gah," said James. "I asked him what Noelle's favorite color again and he said, 'Why the hell should I care?' and I just got...sad."

"Sad?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes! Sad!" James threw up his hands in happiness. "I HAVE FOUND THE MOST PERFECT WORD EVER!"

"Sad," Remus said flatly.

"Yes, got a problem with that?"

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><p><strong>Countdown: Six Days until Winter Break<strong>

A major explosion of confetti.

WILL YOU FORGIVE ME, LILY EVANS.

"No," Lily said curtly, before stalking away out of the Great Hall. Blake followed her and the two pointedly kissed in front of James. Unsurprisingly, he just looked sad and turned away.

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><p>"Lily?" Annabel asked carefully, smoothing the bedspread over her mattress with her fingers as she sat in bed later that night. Alice was raking a brush through Annabel's long, long hair and the feeling was surprisingly nice. Caring.<p>

"Yes?" Lily asked, and then her eyes darkened. "And if this is about me going to James and forgiving him, then the answer is no way. No way. Never."

"I know!" Annabel said hastily. "I meant, why do you like Blake so much?"

"He's so...smooth." Lily's eyes unfocused. "I never felt this way about someone. He's so sweet, yet so awkward."

Really?

Because it never seemed that way to Annabel.

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><p><strong>Countdown: Five Days until Winter Break<strong>

Roses. Three dozen.

Annabel got pricked about eight times before Lily just swept them all out onto the ground, where they fell into the snow.

It was a strangely beautiful sight.

"Hello," Annabel said, sitting next to David and kissing him. "Any change with Fauna?"

"No," said David.

She hadn't thought so, but she wanted to ask anyway.

"I'm sorry."

"Just go, bitch," said one of the girls. Annabel had learned that that girl had a very foul mouth, always swearing at everyone and never meaning it, so Annabel didn't quite care about the whole 'bitch' bit. She did care, but only just a little bit.

There was no change to Marna either. Every day, Remus went over to her bedside and chatted, even if was for only a little while. Once, Annabel had crept up, staying out of sight, and heard his quiet chatter. He talked about everything: James' failed attempts at dating Lily, Lily's incessant flirting with her perhaps-boyfriend Blake, and even Annabel once.

"She told me that you tried to make friends with her," Remus said, and then paused. Annabel froze, not daring to take a breath, her ears listening intently. "Thank you. I know that you won't hear this, but thank you."

Annabel walked away, her eyes pricking with tears from the sweetness of it all.

* * *

><p><strong>Countdown: Four Days until Winter Break<strong>

Annabel had to admit, James was pretty impressive.

At apologizing in a way that made Lily completely certain that she would _never_ ever forgive him.

Today was a burst of apologies. The ever-inventive James charmed a bunch of knights to follow her around apologizing in their screechy-metallic way. This, in itself, would be annoying apart from the fact that the knights followed her _everywhere_ and even broke into the loo when she went there.

Lily, to put it lightly, was furious.

"That bastard!" Lily said angrily. "That absolute freaking prat! He should...he should just dump himself in the dungeons and die!"

"Alliteration," Alice said chirpily.

"What?" Lily asked.

"Nuthin'."

* * *

><p>Shoot.<p>

Noelle recognized that head of shaggy black hair.

"Fuck," she whispered softly to herself, but then at that word, Sirius Black whirled around. His grey eyes widened as he saw her and she instantly turned away, tugging the scrunchie out of her hair so that it floated down around her face and hid her expression.

"Noelle," he said.

Her heart thumped at the very sound of her own name – damn him, damn him twice to hell. "Sirius," she responded, her voice guarded. What had happened to that light-hearted girl at the beginning of the year?

She blamed it on shaggy-haired, good-looking boys with grey eyes.

"Look, Noelle—"

She expected him to apologize, flash her that famous smile that he was so, well, _famous_ for.

Instead—

"I'm breaking up with you."

Cold. She felt cold all over.

"All right," Noelle said hollowly.

"What?" Sirius looked shocked.

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Noelle asked, her temper flaring. "Do you want me to cry and beg for you to take me back? I'm not that kind of person, Sirius Black."

"Oh yeah? What kind of person are you, then?"

"The one who thinks you're privy-licking scum."

The way she said it, so scathingly, made a series of images flash in Sirius' brain.

_"You disappoint me! You are no longer a Black!"_

_ Her terrible, proud face._

_ "But—" he had tried to say._

_ "You are no longer my son._

_ He glared at her._

_ "So be it."_

"Sirius?"

The way he was staring off into space was starting to worry Noelle; she didn't like being worried about a boy who just dumped her.

"Right," Sirius said in the same tone that Noelle had said, "All Right" in. "Right. Um. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sirius, you're white as a ghost—"

"I said I'm fine!"

He glared at her ferociously, she turned around with burning eyes. _Do not cry, do not cry_, she chanted miserably to herself before running up the girl's staircase.

* * *

><p><strong>Countdown: Three days until Winter Break<strong>

Remus laughed to Marna lightly; she stared up at the ceiling with a vacant look on her blue face. When Madam Pomfrey scurried away to work, Remus replaced the wilting daisies in her vase with a bouquet of blue roses that he had summoned up that morning.

"Prongs pulled another one of his stunts again," Remus said.

No movement.

"Before, he tried to enchant all the suits of armor, remember? And today he had a pair of doves sing and fly around Lily all day, and every time they beat their wings, snow fluttered from them. Merlin, he worked all night figuring out that spell and—"

"Remus?"

Remus whirled around. There was Annabel, looking quite shocked.

"Oh, hello," said Remus with a kind of embarrassed look on his face.

"Remus, you look awful," said Annabel.

He did. It was the full moon night, so of course he looked awful.

"Oh. Yeah." Remus burned red. Had she been listening in on him?

"How is she?"

It took him a few minutes to realize that she was talking about Marna. "Madam Pomfrey can't wake her up. The officials are coming today and tomorrow."

"So late?" Annabel looked outraged. "Here they are, blue as death, Marna and Fauna and...and..arrgh! The Ministry is obviously corrupt."

She walked over and touched the blue flowers. "These are pretty. I've always liked the color blue."

"What's your favorite color?" Remus asked intently.

"Orange," Annabel said instantly.

It was so unlike her that Remus hesitated.

"Orange?" he said. "Not blue, or red, or purple?"

"Orange," Annabel repeated. "I just like it. It's so vibrant and pretty, you know? And the color! It's like...flattened sunset. Some people think that it's hideous, but I don't. What about you? Favorite color?"

"Blue," Remus said.

Annabel grinned, touching the flowers. "I've never seen blue roses."

"That's because they don't strictly exist."

"Mm." Annabel stroked the flowers one more time. "So Remus, do you ever get sick of people giving you chocolate?"

This made him pause for a little bit.

Did he?

"Sort of," he replied hesitantly. "I mean, I love chocolate and all, and somehow I don't get fat—"

Annabel chuckled at this statement.

"—but it is getting a bit generic. Chocolate is chocolate, fudge is fudge, but only Padfoot, Prongs and Wormtail and my parents of course, know me well enough to really give me something that I might treasure forever." He tilted his head. "Do you know what I mean?"

He sounded so sentimental that Annabel involuntarily smiled before saying, "Um..."

She didn't.

"No." Annabel was surprised. "No, I don't." Usually people got her clothes, jewelry, makeup, something trivial. She liked makeup, but she had a bulging bag of it. She liked jewelry, but always forgot to wear it. And she absolutely loved clothes, but now she had a bit too many. Perhaps she should clear out her closet this winter.

Oh wait!

"My mother once got me a picture frame," Annabel said slowly, feeling the memory resurface sluggishly to her mind.

"A picture frame?"

"Yes."

Oh! She remembered that picture frame. She got it when she was seven years old, eight years ago and it was so beautiful! It had a wide border in the shape of a circle, and in that border were small, miniscule things painted in bright colors. Dancing people whirling around evermore, butterflies batting their wings, cats leaping up trees that stretched their branches to the sky. Leaves edged in gilt, a pirate's chest overspilling with chips of fake gems and more gilt that created the treasure inside. Beautiful.

"What did it look like?"

"It looked...magical." Despite herself, an aching feeling rose up in her chest. "Magical. At that time, everything was magical, but the frame was the most. It was...beautiful. I really don't know how to describe it, Remus."

"Do you still have it?"

Somehow, after she turned thirteen, that frame didn't seem so important anymore. Maybe it was because she knew what real magic looked like: in the form of a slender twig and sparks. Maybe it was because she had been swept away in the heady game of makeup and fashion. Then she and her dad had moved, and the picture frame got packed away.

"Yes," she said. "I think. I haven't seen it in ages."

"I'd like to see it sometime."

Annabel flashed him a sudden smile. "I'd like to show you. Maybe we can all gather up at James' house...except for Lily, of course."

Remus winced. "I think that Lily's had enough of James to last a lifetime."

"Agreed."

Annabel grinned suddenly. "I also got a teddy bear when I was younger," she said gleefully. "Have you ever had a teddy bear? They're just adorable..._no_?"

For he was shaking his head in a sort of dumbfounded way.

She was gaping. "You've never had a teddy bear?"

For a minute, there was no sound other than the breathing of the two. Then Annabel stood up. "I should go," she said. "Lily's still a wreck."

"Wait!" Remus jumped up and his stool clattered to the ground with a metallic crash that made both of them wince. "Um." She was looking at him expectantly now. He crossed the small enclosed space that was Marna's area and went to a vase, plucking out one of the dozen blue roses. "It won't be missed."

She smiled brilliantly, accepting the rose and bringing it to her nose. The perfume was very slight. "Thank you," she said softly and gave him a small hug, being careful not to crush the rose. It was only half-grown, the petals still half sheathed.

It was beautiful.

* * *

><p>As she walked down the hall, smiling down at her rose and sniffing it, she crashed into a boy with yellow hair and gentle blue eyes.<p>

"Oh," she said. "Blake."

Blake gave her a tight smile. "Annabel, looking lovely like always. Who gave you the rose?"

"You don't need to know," snapped Annabel.

"Ah, but I am just curious."

"Bugger off, Blake."

She tried to sidestep around him, and he blocked her way.

Annabel glared squarely at him, suddenly glad that she was fairly tall for a teenage girl. When she was younger, she wished that she was petite because she thought it was adorable. Now, it enabled her to glare at Blake without having to look up at him. "Get out of my way."

"No."

She smelled something on his breath, a herb-y sort of smell that she never smelled before. And...good lord, was that Firewhisky?

"Are you drunk?" she cried.

"Only drunk for you."

Cheesy. Very.

"You're dating Lily."

"She's gorgeous."

Annabel took out her wand and pointed it at him. "Move."

He moved, but before he did, Blake reached out and stroked his fingers from her wrist to her shoulder while sidling past her. "You'll fall for me eventually," he whispered and she shivered with both suppressed anger and fright.

"Not in this life," she said, finding her mouth dry and her voice creaked.

His blue eyes were smoldering.

They weren't as blue as the rose.

Annabel felt confident and strong again, pointing her wand steadily as she backed away.

Still.

He frightened her.

* * *

><p>Crystal had no idea what or why this Blake was...assaulting Annabel, but it worked very nicely into her plan. As she stirred the potion, it turned a lurid red and shone iridescently for a moment before subsiding into a gray glop.<p>

Perfect.

"Professor Feibe—gah!" A girl skidded to a halt, eyes wide. It was that abnormal little girl, friend of Alice. Her name was...Daphne.

Crystal rolled her eyes and reached for her wand, intending to put the girl under the imperio charm. But then-

Daphne shrieked out something unintelligible and a beam of purple light hit the cauldron, exploding it. Gray glop flew everywhere and Crystal was forced to put a shield around her. Wherever the potion touched, it burned through. There was a whirl of yellow hair as the girl scampered out of the room quickly.

"Shit!" shouted Crystal, and her eyes shone.

All she could hope was that her plan was not revealed.

* * *

><p>Pain wracked the young werewolf's body as he changed in the Shrieking Shack. He screamed with suppressed fury and then looked around for something human to eat.<p>

There was nothing.

A whine came and a dog padded into the room. The werewolf grew just a bit calmer, whining back and nudging the dog's side with its nose. A majestic stag clomped into the room, his magnificant antlers just brushing the ceiling and adding to the many gashes already there from his antlers. There was a patch of lighter fur on his shoulder: a rat.

The werewolf slowly grew calmer, nudging his friends and whining piteously.

Outside, a girl with dark hair watched.

* * *

><p><strong>Countdown: Two Days until Winter Break<strong>

For unknown reasons, Dumbledore had canceled classes for the day. Everyone was out playing in the snow or doing something else like that, but Annabel decided to go down to the Hospital Wing and ask Madam Pomfrey for some more potions.

The memories were coming back.

_Green, green, everywhere. Everything vivid as the smoke surrounded her and then a man with red-tinged eyes smiled at her._

_ "My lord," she whispered._

And more about that 'lord' but Annabel couldn't figure out who the hell it was. She'd never seen anyone like that before.

Ah, well, two days until Winter Break. She would survive.

Madam Pomfrey looked up with surprise as she entered. "Annabel!" she said, looking a bit panicked. "Sorry. Nothing here right now."

Annabel, however, had already seen Remus.

An unconscious Remus wrapped in bandages.

"Remus?" she asked with surprise, and then saw a very banged-up Sirius besides him. "And the prat!"

"Who, me?" Sirius groaned in agony. "I'm in pain here, woman. You're supposed to be sympathetic."

"Not when you broke my friend's heart, no."

"She didn't really care!" protested an irate Sirius.

Annabel glared at him.

"Oh. She...did care, didn't she?" Sirius frowned. "Well, this is quite awkward."

"If you weren't so bloody injured, I would totally be killing you right now," snapped Annabel.

"Or kissing?"

That was it; she raised a pillow to hit him but he cowered.

"You did kiss me once!" Sirius said in a panic.

"It was on a dare!" yelled Annabel as loudly as she could (which was a very loud whisper) and she blushed a bright red.

"Don't pretend that you didn't enjoy it."

Annabel rolled her eyes.

"You and I should've dated," Sirius mused.

"Oh please," said Annabel. "There's a significant difference between a good kisser and a good boyfriend."

"I can be a good boyfriend!"

"I highly doubt it, Mr. I've-dated-many-girls." Annabel suddenly jolted up. "Hang on. What are you doing in the Hospital Wing?"

"Well Annabel," Sirius said with the air of someone explaining something for the millionth time, "when one person gets hurt really badly, you tend to have to go to a Hospital to heal."

"Ha-ha-ha," Annabel snarled. "_How_ did you get hurt 'really badly?'"

"We were outside," Sirius said.

"Breaking rules again?" yelped Annabel. "Honestly, Sirius! We're going to have negative points sooner or later."

"Not with Lily around, no."

"Lily probably will be taking away the most," Annabel said wearily. "Where's Peter and James?"

She gave Remus a glance; he was still sleeping.

"Off getting me cauldron cakes," Sirius said airily. "I love those little buggers. Sometimes I cover them with red frosting—I love the color of red, y'know—and it's delicious. It's so sweet that even Peter throws up whenever he eats it."

"Uh huh," Annabel said, amused. She pulled a hairpin out of her carefully braided hair and transfigured it into flowers before putting them in an empty vase. She set the vase carefully besides Remus.

"Hey!" shouted Sirius as Annabel started walking away. "Don't I get flowers?"

"No!" Annabel said.

Sirius rolled his eyes as the doors slammed behind Annabel. "I've never liked roses anyway. Especially blue ones."

* * *

><p>"So," Alice said cheerfully. "Are we going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?"<p>

She carefully smoothed down her rumpled shirt and blushed. Her lips were chapped from all that kissing, and her hair was messy. Frank, however, looked dashing like he always did. Reaching out, she wiped away a little makeup from the corner of his lips.

"Why wouldn't we be?" Frank asked, leaning forward to kiss her again, but she playfully smiled and pushed him away. "Rejection. Ouch."

Alice laughed. "Just checking. I'll find you at the Three Broomsticks, eh?"

"Sure," Frank said, looking a bit forlorn as she hopped up, smoothed her highlighted hair and walked towards the door. "See you."

* * *

><p><strong>Countdown: One Day before Winter Break<strong>

"We are dragging you to Hogsmeade whether you like it or not!"

Remus winced as his side twinged from one of the recent injuries that his lycanthropy always brought. "But...Marna..."

"The officials have carried her off anyway," said Sirius, who looked none the worse. In fact, he looked relatively chipper. Alice had gone off to Hogsmeade already in a daze of happiness at the idea of her _very _first date with Frank, and was practically skipping with happiness.

Scratch that.

She _was_ skipping with happiness.

James ruffled Remus' hair and put him in a headlock and Remus groaned as James dug his knuckles playfully into Remus' head. "Cheer up, Moony," he said, overly cheerful. "It'll be all right." Sirius laughed and jumped on the both of them, while Peter flopped on top of them all.

"Uggggh," moaned Remus, squashed by three energetic boys. With a sudden burst of strength, he pushed up, toppling all of them into the snow. Then it was a pile of boys shoving snow into each other faces; the sound of Sirius' deep throaty chuckle; the guffaw that James usually gave; Peter's high-ish laugh; and then Remus realized that he, too, was laughing as snow nipped at his back and sloshed around in his shoes. Peter jumped on him as Remus tried to stand up and then they both went down into the cold, cold snow.

James was on top of Sirius, holding his face down into the snow. Both were so covered with the white stuff that they looked like walking snowman, and James' rectangular glasses had fallen into the snow.

"Had enough?" asked James, pressing Sirius further into the snow.

Sirius muttered something incoherent.

"What?"

"NEVER!"

The word belted from Sirius as he bucked with all his might and sent them both flying. Then he and James were shoving snow at each other, and Sirius actually gathered up a whole lot of snow before dumping it unceremoniously on top of James' hair.

Remus laughed so hard that his stomach hurt as the two insulted each other. Peter eagerly joined the fray, squeaking as Sirius squashed him. Although some may say that Peter was an outcast, Remus knew that deep down inside...

...he was one of them.

A rat. A werewolf. A dog. A stag.

Who'd have thought?

* * *

><p>He bumped into a girl about a quarter through the visit. There was Annabel, looking perfectly dolled up. Her hair swung in perfect curls that she probably spelled them into, and her eyes had light blue makeup on them that made her gray-blue eyes more blue than gray. She dressed to kill in casual clothes that Remus knew she probably spent a time picking out.<p>

She must really like makeup.

Just once, Remus wanted to see her without it.

She also looked miserable.

"Hey," Remus said. "Where's the others?"

Annabel sighed. "Alice's with Frank, Noelle's with someone, Lily's with Blake, there's no one else to hang out with and I'd be damned if I hung out with Clara." She wrinkled her nose. "She's probably off with someone."

"Rhenni?" Remus suggested.

"Good thought, but probably not." Annabel sighed noisily. "I feel like such a loner."

"Hang out with us," said Remus.

Annabel's mouth twisted. "Nah."

When Remus looked offended, she laughed. "It's not that I don't like you guys, it's just that you lot always have your own little private jokes, and you're all … I dunno, _guarded_ around outsiders … which, incidentally, would be _me_."

"What about David?" asked Remus.

"He's..." Annabel coughed. "He's with Fauna."

Remus raised an eyebrow.

"Oh for heaven's sake, she's blue."

"So is Marna," pointed out Remus.

"Yes, but..." Annabel sighed. "Never mind." She gave him a swift hug, and he smelled that orange perfume around her. "See you later."

Orange.

_"It's like flattened sunset, you know_."

He knew what he was going to get her for her birthday present.

* * *

><p>Annabel wandered Hogsmeade despondantly when it occurred her that she hadn't gotten the Marauders gifts.<p>

Well, she hadn't gotten them any _last_ year. But last year, their groups weren't knit together so closely.

Well...

They _were_ her friends...

Annabel blew the air out of her cheeks and moaned. It shouldn't be this difficult to buy gifts for your friends! She bought Peter bags of candy that should satisfy him somewhat, and she bought James two gifts. One was a book on how to pick up girls, and another one was a long gleaming record that she knew he'd get a kick out of.

Sirius and Remus were harder.

Then she remembered that his (Sirius) favorite color was red and suddenly it was a lot easier. Red chocolate, red fuzzy slippers that she thought were just hilarious (and cozy). A long red bathrobe to match the slippers, and even red lingerie. He would get a kick out of that, she thought.

Remus was the hardest.

Normally, she would have gotten him chocolate, but now she knew that it was one of those commonplace things to do, and she most _definitely _did not want to get him chocolate. She got him a bar of toffee just for fun and bought a matching bar for herself.

Hell, she didn't even know what he wanted to be when he grew up!

She dawdled, knowing fully well that she should just ignore his complaints and get him a bar of chocolate when she accidentally dawdled into a stuffed animal shop. There were millions of stuffed animals, mostly bears and other adorable stuff enchanted with spells, when she saw a lonesome figure stuffed behind a giant teddy bear that waved and talked.

Walking over there curiously, she looked at it.

It was a stuffed teddy bear, though this one looked a little sad. It was a warm, rich chocolate brown, like most of the teddy bears, and had bright black button eyes. It wasn't the least bit magical, had a silky red ribbon tied around its neck and was soft to the touch. It was small, just a little bit bigger than her hand...

...and it was perfect.

She paid for it.

Nervousness struck and she quickly went to the nearest bookshop and bought a few books for Remus just in case.

Merlin, was she antsy.

* * *

><p><strong>Going back to home:<strong>

The train chugged noisily around them as Annabel teetered, tottered and fell onto the floor. She stood up, blushing, to a round of applause.

"That was just _fabulous_," said Noelle.

"_Magnificent_," drawled Lily.

"Oh shut up," muttered Annabel. "I thought that Alice was going to hang out with us."

"She's with Frank right now," Noelle said, brushing her hair out and rebraiding it. "Alice and Frank, sittin' in a tree—"

"You lot are really immature," Alice said, bursting into the compartment.

"Your shirt is buttoned wrong," Annabel noted.

There was that moment when Alice looked at them all, with her blouse askew, her hair slightly messy and a happy smile on her lips. They all stared back at her with faint smiles playing on their faces.

Then Alice burst into laughter and they all followed suit. She re-buttoned her shirt, laughing, and tried to fix her hair. It simply frizzed and they all laughed at the fuzz her hair had become.

"As great as this all is," said a lazy voice from the door, "we can hear you all from down the hall. Mind toning it down here?"

Noelle froze. Annabel turned instantly with a glare. Lily half-drew her wand. Alice picked herself up and smoothed down her hair, tying it back with a ribbon.

"Sirius," Noelle said flatly.

"And the rest of us," James said from where he was behind the giant skulking Sirius.

"Potter."

Annabel looked at Remus, who gave an unhappy shrug.

This would be interesting.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you, uh, liked it. Review?<strong>


	25. The Death of Daphne Winters

**The authoress' hand darts out into the chapter. A reviewer spots it, cocks a gun, and shoots. The authoress darts her hand back just in time. "I need that!" she calls out in an aggrieved voice. "Or do you not want another chapter?"**

**Yes. I'm a shit. I don't update for about a month, and it's a crap update when I do. Apologies, m'darling reviewers. You all have been so patient. Good for ya.**

**Also: recap. Daphne Winter is a girl, Alice'****s friend. Anyways - there's about six chapters UNTIL THE END OF THIS STORY - joking, joking. Nine chapters until the end of sixth year, about three chapters on summertime, and then another thirty-something chapters for seventh year (which is a big, sexual-tensiony one.)**

**And woohoo! I've reached 100,000+ words, which is my new record!**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-Three: The Death of Daphne Winter<p>

* * *

><p>Review Replies: <strong>YouCanCallMeSexy<strong>: I literally squeed when I saw this review. I think I've fallen in love with you too. *waves frantically* Also, I caught the reference in your name. XD. The Doctor's Wife is like, my favorite episode. Scratch that- it IS my favorite episode.** Chloeryn: **Dawwww, thank you soooo much! *hugs* **Z-Aquarius-Kai:** Oh. Poor, poor Daphne. I think you've already found out. :(. Ha, a lot of people say that about Marna. **faeriemaiden96:** because he's Sirius, and Sirius ims (in my story) is not nice.** Like A Boss: **Thank you for your three reviews! It took me a little while to think about what to get Remus, and I *guilty look* still haven't figured out what to get Annabel. Thanks!** Maddaz a Hatter**: Well, this chapter may be a bit anticlimatic, but I hope the next chapter will make up for it!** clovetf:** Thank you! **Potterphileprincess: **Yep. As of right now, mah main characters are hopelessly daft, but after this chapter, things start to pick up a bit. Also, about your Sirius and Annabel one - curiously enough, you're the second one that wants Annabel and Sirius to hook up, hahahahaha. I've actually got a bit of a plot for them, hopefully humorous. **ellabellabee:** There's only one chapter depicting winter break, and that's going to be a super-huge one with EVERYONE in it. Bah. You'll also find out about Noelle and Alice's background (though they're mostly made up). Surfing IS epic - I actually wanted to post this chapter on Christmas, but I couldn't finish it by then. Drat. Sorry! **HGromanticsap:** OMG CHAMELEON CIRCUIT WITH CHARRLLLIIIIEEEEEE. Curiously enough, I only discovered them about a week ago when I was watching Charlieissocoollike (he's adorable!) and now I've definitely got to check out that song XD. Thanks! And Doomsday- BE STILL MY HEART. **Hi: **Haha. I like to read those stories sometimes, and I actually have a story like that -le wince- but I try not to read it. Maybe someday I'll work it over. **strukkfirst: **Haha, yes. Something to do with sunset or orange...or maybe both. And romance is in the air, mi amor! Never mind that I have no idea what that means. XD. And mm, you've just given me an idea! **Hellfire Putten Ninja:** LOL ROFL. No fighting, though. Grand idea, though.** CrazilyObsessed: **How sweet of you! Personally, my favorite color is purple, but my friend's favorite color is orange and she described it perfectly for me in sweeping words. Thanks! **Anxiously-awaiting: **Updating, updating...gosh, maybe I should change it to Romance/Drama, but i like humor. XD. **Dark Fire Pixie: **I need to start listening to my reviewers and actually update. Whooopss. **Nizuna Fujieda:** Updating...updating...:D Thanks for the review! **WentToManderleyAgain: **Hey Em, are you alright? Just checking. *hugs*

* * *

><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

* * *

><p>Quote: Girls are like M&amp;Ms. They're different colors on the outside, but on the inside, they're the same. ~KevJumba<p>

* * *

><p>"Sing for us, Annabel!"<p>

"No fucking way."

Annabel crossed her arms tightly across her chest and glowered at the grinning, black-haired marauder whom Noelle was ignoring. "Don't be an idiot, Black. I can't sing worth a whit."

"Believe us, she can't," muttered Alice. "Everytime she gets in the shower I swear the tree outside our window dies a bit."

"Shut up!" Annabel said, blushing furiously. "I don't sing _that_ bad."

"You sing like a banshee."

"Sheesh, what is this, gang up on Annabel day?"

"Well, we could make it today if you want it to be."

Annabel felt annoyance well up in her and she ground her teeth; annoyed. But however, they didn't seem to notice, jibing at her and laughing. Even Lily was telling stories about Annabel, about how one day Annabel had turned her own hair blonde and how _strange_ it looked. Noelle had joined in as well.

"Stop it!" yelled Annabel, finding that she was on her feet.

Silence.

"_Merlin_," growled out Annabel before storming out of the compartment.

* * *

><p>Lily looked at Noelle, who had a similarly blank expression on her face. "What did we do?" asked Lily, and Noelle shrugged. "Ridiculous," muttered Lily with an annoyed look. "Sometimes, I just don't get her."<p>

Noelle looked at her. "You're not going to go after her?"

"No point," admitted Lily.

"Good friend, aren't you?" said James, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Lily looked at him askance. "Yes, I am, _Potter_. Don't give me that condescending look."

"Well, all I'm saying is that if you were a good friend, you'd be running after her."

"And I suppose that's what you'd be doing if Black went off in a fit?"

"No, but that's because Sirius would punch me."

"And how do you know that Annabel won't?"

"Because she's Annabel."

That threw Lily off a bit; she sputtered and looked around helplessly for someone to save her. "Jackass," she managed.

"Really?"

For a fleeting second, James looked almost disappointed. Lily huffed, stood up, and stormed away as well.

"Where's she going?" asked Peter. "To Annabel?"

"Nope," said Noelle with a hefty sigh. "To Blake."

* * *

><p>"Open the door, Annabel, I know you're in there."<p>

Annabel curled her arms around her knees and scowled.

There was a splintering noise, a muttered enchantment, and the door to the loo flung open. Remus stood there, rather disheveled and sexy-looking.

Annabel shook her head. _Get your mind outta the gutter_, she told herself. "You're in the girl's loo," she stammered out.

Remus looked around. "I suppose I am."

"Get out of the girl's loo."

"Ah, I'd rather not."

"Pervert."

"Not in the least."

A bit confused, Annabel stared at him before standing up and brushing off her jeans. "I'm just pissed," she said. "Not furiously angry."

"Right."

Remus brushed a lock of brown-gold hair out of his eyes. "Tell me, Annabel, do you ever feel alone?"

She looked up, her eyes slightly watery and angry. "What the hell kinda question is that?"

He kicked the door shut behind them. "It's a serious one."

Annabel gaped like a fish, her mouth opening and closing before she went to sit next to Remus. It was a cramped loo, the sink and toilet touching, but she wasn't about to stay on the toilet. Her arm touched his and she blushed a bit. "Well, Mr. Serious," she teased. "I have plenty of friends. I'm not some kinda loser."

"I didn't ask that," said a slightly irked-looking Remus. "I asked if you ever felt alone."

Annabel shrugged. "Friends, alone, it's all the same for me."

The train chugged under their feet. It was queit in the loo. Annabel wondered idly where David was at, and then realized that she really didn't know. Then she remembered she had a present for Remus.

"I-I have a present for you," she said awkwardly, and when he looked at her, she smiled. "For Christmas."

"Oh." His brow furrowed. "Yes, I do too."

"Heh." Annabel wanted to reach for his hand, but then she remembered – she had a boyfriend and he, a girlfriend. A girlfriend that was currently blue. "Remus—"

Just then, there was a horrified scream.

* * *

><p>"Rhenni!" shouted Remus.<p>

She was blue; bluer than death, and staring up at the sky. Annabel clapped a hand over her mouth. They, having heard the scream, ran out of the loo and saw a girl a few feet away from them. Although she was blue, they both had no trouble recognizing her.

"This isn't fair!" shouted Annabel towards the sky. People glanced at her, but she ignored them and slumped against the wall, one hand covering her eyes. "Why?" She looked around, and saw a sly smile cross a woman's face as she disappeared into a compartment.

Professor Feibe.

Something in her wondered why Professor Feibe was on the train; the other didn't care. That part of her that didn't care was boiling in rage. She was the cause of all of this – Annabel knew it.

Suddenly, memories surfaced in her and she shouted in pain. She was flying; flying high. Into the blue sky. Which was strange, because Annabel was deathly afraid of heights. Then there was a flash of blue light and she was falling –

"ANNABEL!"

A stinging slap, and she was back, blinking up at her friends. "Ouch," she said, more aggrieved than hurt. "What the hell was that for?" Alice was rubbing her knuckles idly. "Ouch, Alice." She stood up. "Where's Remus?"

"Nowhere," said Noelle, and then winced. "I mean, he's with Sir-Black."

"Oh."

In a blur of motion, Annabel stood up and raced her way towards the door. Lily exclaimed and stepped in her way. "Are you an idiot?" asked Lily.

"No," said Annabel, trying to sidestep.

"Well, you bloody are acting like one right now."

"But he's—"

"With his friends," finished Alice. "And Annabel, that's where he ought to be. I know you'd hate to think it, but you aren't his only friend."

"Shut up," snapped Annabel.

"Anna—"

"You're right and I know it, but _shut up_."

She shut up.

"Eat some chocolate. It'll help."

"What? I haven't been kissed by a dementor, you lot!"

* * *

><p>"Moony, mate," said James. "She's fine."<p>

"She's gone. Rhenni's gone."

"She'll be back; as soon as Madam Pomfrey finds the cure—"

"But what if she doesn't find the cure, Prongs?" Remus lifted distraught eyes towards James. "What if? Then Marna and Rhenni and Fauna are all gone."

"Who's Fauna?" wondered Peter, whilst Sirius rolled his eyes and strolled over to Remus.

"Remus Lupin, you are going to shut up, take that pole out of your arse and think about this sensibly. How long has—"

Suddenly, Sirius fell short. "_Wolf_," he growled in a voice quite unlike Sirius. "Shut the door and close the blinds."

Startled out of his shock, Peter complied.

Sirius fell to his knees, seamlessly transforming into Padfoot. The shaggy black dog was erect from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail, the black moist nose twitching. Slowly, he walked around in a circle and to the door and back. Then Sirius was back, looking grim indeed.

"It was as I thought," Sirius said. "Wolf."

Everyone looked at Remus except for Sirius.

"Not me!" said Remus.

"It's not him," Sirius said. "I know the smell of bunny rabbit Remus. It was something unlike any wolf I've ever smelled."

"But you were human when you smelled it, Padfoot," said James. "How'd you smell it?"

At this, Sirius looked a bit sheepish. "Well, I was turning a bit doggish to make Remmy laugh, but then I caught the scent. It was...strange. Colorful. I would tell Peter to turn into a rat and smell it, but even as it is the scent is very faint."

"Shut up," said James.

"What?" An expression of shock crossed Sirius' face. "I'm in the middle of—I love eclairs, they're delightfully creamy."

This subject change was very strange except for the fact that three girls had just entered the compartment, and they were not Lily, Noelle or Alice. Instead, one was very tall and very thin, with a mane of brown hair that literally fell past her waist. Another had short-cropped dyed-green hair and the last was cast in the tall girl's shadow and was wearing a dark hood.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Sirius.

"Dani," said the tall girl.

"Betty," said the green-haired girl.

The last girl said nothing.

"And why the hell are you here?" continued Sirius.

"We've heard of you," started Dani.

"And we don't like you," continued Betty.

"You've got a reputation."

"And we don't like it when people upstage us."

"Do you even go to Hogwarts?" Peter yelped.

"Yes, we do."

Remus' eyes had skimmed over them silently, taking in everything. "Hufflepuffs," he said. "You forgot to change out of your robes. You're all Hufflepuffs."

"Except me," said the last girl finally and stepped into the light.

* * *

><p>It was like revealing an angel.<p>

First was a glint of purple and then the girl's hood slid off to reveal a strikingly pretty face. Deep blue eyes were prominent in a perfectly proportioned face with long, perfect silky dark brown hair in perfect curls. A flash of white as she smiled disarmingly with even teeth. Each freckle in the tiny scattering across her nose seemed to be perfectly shaped. As she moved, her black robe rippled to reveal a purple silk lining.

Everyone was dumbstruck.

Peter, to his credit, recovered the fastest. "Ravenclaw, then?" he asked. "You don't look Slytherin."

"Yes, Ravenclaw," said the girl amusedly.

"Remus, I'm sorry it took me a while but—oh, who's this?"

Annabel stumbled into the compartment and took in the three girls. Her light brown hair, already messy from her fall, looked positively frizzy in comparison to the gorgeous girl's, and besides her, Annabel looked like a monster. Sirius, who would've flirted a bit, gave Annabel a dizzy nod and smiled at the pretty girl.

"Betty," said Betty.

"Dani," said Dani with the sigh of one that had long done this before.

The last girl said nothing, as before. She was possibly the most beautiful person Remus had ever seen and angelic. There was something just too perfect about her, and it frightened Remus. Annabel looked at the last girl questioningly, but then turned to Remus. "Remus—are you—"

"I feel like shit," Remus pronounced clearly.

"Oh," said a confused Annabel, and then her blue-gray eyes softened. "Oh, okay. I'm—I'm sorry. Remus, I—"

Before she could finish her sentence, the train lurched to a stop and she stumbled. When she stood back up, her face was a vivid pink.

"Yes?" asked Remus.

"Nothing," said Annabel, blushing. "I—nothing." Blushing even redder, she turned away and fairly scampered

Remus turned to the rest of the boys, who were all sniggering. "What?" he asked. "What did I do?"

"Nothing, mate," said Sirius.

"Yes," said the last girl, smiling gorgeously. "Nothing at all."

"I never caught your name," James said.

Her sapphire-colored eyes sparkled. "Farrah," she said. "My name is Farrah."

And then she glided out of the compartment.

* * *

><p>"Dad!"<p>

Annabel fairly threw herself at her dad. "Gosh, where's Mum?" she asked.

"Working," said her father. "That's your mum for you."

"Tchah," laughed Annabel.

Her father laughed as well, running a hand through his thinning, graying hair that had once been the same color as Annabel's. She and her father shared some features, like their eyes and their hair, but everyone compared Annabel to her mum. Which was warranted.

"There's so much to tell you," Annabel said excitedly, waving at Lily, who waved back before disappearing into the crowd. "There's been so much excitement at school..." Her enthusiasm faltered. "And not all of it is good."

"I see," said her father. "Tell me about it on the way back home."

* * *

><p>"Alice?"<p>

Daphne's trembly voice caught Alice's attention. She plastered a smile on her face, giving Frank a quick kiss, and then headed towards her friend. "Hey, Daphne," she said cheerfully, and then her fake smile faded away when she saw her friend's worried face.

Daphne was nervous.

Very, very nervous.

"I—I need to talk to you," Daphne said, twisting the bottom of her oversized t-shirt in her hands. It was already wrinkly.

"Sure."

"In—in private."

"Oh." Alice's eyebrows drew together. "Oh...okay."

Daphne took a deep breath. "It's Professor Feibe."

"What?" asked Alice.

"It's Professor Feibe, Alice."

"What?" asked Alice again, utterly bewildered. "Daphne, you aren't making any sense!"

"She knows," Daphne said. "She knows and she _will_ kill me. I—I'm sorry."

"What?" babbled Alice, sounding like something set on repeat.

Daphne leaned forward. "She's the one who turned all of those people blue, Alice. And yet—she's not Professor Feibe."

"You aren't making any sense, Daphne." Now Alice sounded completely like a repeating doll.

Daphne winced, and grabbed at her stomach. She retched once, twice, and then collapsed on the floor, heaving dry air.

"Daphne!" shrieked Alice. For a moment, tears blurred her eyes and she thought that she saw Daphne's hair moving. "Daphne, _please_!"

Daphne retched some more and gasped out between choking breaths, "Annabel."

And then she collapsed.

Her eyes fluttered closed.

"Daphne!" yelled Alice. "Someone! Help!" When people came, they saw that the girl was clinging to the limp, lifeless form of another girl. What they didn't see was a dark winding thing trailing on the ground towards the doorway.

"Alice, let go."

It was Frank.

"_Alice, let go_."

She let go.

Frank was carrying her, warm against him, and she was gasping for air, crying helplessly. "She died right in front of me," Alice said. "She—she just died."

"I know, love, I know."

However, Alice couldn't understand.

_Annabel_?

Inside Alice's mind, a seed of distrust was sowed.

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><p>"Hush, my child," crooned Farrah to her hand. Her friends, Betty and Dani, had gone out to fetch her trunks alongside Cowell and Veckie. In her pale, fair hand was curled a dark, slimy thing. "My child."<p>

Her voice soothed the thing and it subsided squirming.

"I know that the girl resisted, I know..."

* * *

><p>"I haven't forgotten," said Sirius.<p>

They hadn't yet heard of Daphne, or they wouldn't be so calm. Over the noisy hubbub of the people, they could hardly hear anything, even the anguished screams of Alice.

"Haven't forgotten what?" asked James, who was thinking of his sketchbook and charcoal. His hands were itching to draw.

"I haven't forgotten that wolf-scent," Sirius said seriously. "James—"

At this, James looked up.

"James, the scent was coming from her."

"Who?"

"The pretty girl. Fanny, Fairy...Hannah? Farrah!" Sirius nodded. "Yes. The scent was coming from Fannah."

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><p><strong>Right. And that is where the crappy chapter ends. Sorry!<strong>

**Review?**


	26. Winter Break Part One

**The authoress is sick. She is in her bed, frail and weak, clutching tissues (which litter the ground copiously as well). "Achoo," she says with a groan, wiping her teary eyes. "Must...write..."**

**See what I give up for you lot?**

**Ha. Okay, I know I said that this winter break chapter was going to be super-long, but I got distracted.**

**Uber-distracted.**

**Heh. I sense that you want me to to get on with the story, so I'm gonna just tell you about my distraction at the bottom. So, yeah.**

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><p>Chapter Twenty-Four: Winter Break<p>

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><p>Review Replies:<strong> HGromanticsap: <strong>Dear me. I looked at what you were saying and I winced. Thanks SOOOO much for pointing that out - I fixed it.** Crazily Obsessed: **I truly want to squee at your review, and I am squeeing irl, but i am SO exhausted, so thank you for that review; Annabel does seem to get in a lot of trouble, and I hope you like this chapter!** WentToManderleyAgain:** Sorry, Em! For not replying to your emails and everything! Check your tumblr, please!** Hi: ** THANK YOU *virtual hug* and cap lock parties are cool. CAP LOCK PARRTTYYYY *realizes she's the only one dancing. Whoops.** Z-Aquarius-Kai:** I feel like I should know your name inspiration...care to point out the meaning to me? SIRIUS. I love SIRIUS.** ellabellabee:** THANK YOU. I love long reviews! Long reviews are epic and fun to read. Thank you thank you!** clevernugget: **Oh dear. D: I guess I didn't explain it very well. NOOOOO.** strukkfirst:** BWAHAHAHAHA NO I DID NOT KNOW THAT BUT THAT IS JUST TOO HILARIOUS. No, seriously. I live in America, and I had NO idea that pissed meant drunk out of your mind. Thanks for telling me! Gosh, now every time someone says the word pissed, I'll be laughing.** justbornawesome:** Um...I guess this doesn't count as soon...drat... SORRY!** Anonymous person who left no name: **Awwww thank youuuu 3 *virtual hug*** anony mouse112:** You are a gem in the history of reviewers. XD. Seriously. I was all *whew* when I read your review. But I figure that you probably want an update anyway XD** Potterphileprincess:** Thank you! your name made me LOL.

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><p>Before Dawn (The Night is Darkest)<p>

_Plot: _Annabel: sixth year. She's made to be partners with Remus for this stupid Herbology project, and in turn, they become friends. Petty drama, this guy named Blake that Lily is just in _love_ with (He's a real prat, that one) and her friends, Noelle and Alice already in drama, it's no _wonder_ her life is messed up! And there's something on the loose, a big something.

And it's attacking the sixth years.

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><p>Quote: Right. Don't really...have one...so...sorry. Ha. APOLOGIES. ~Authoress<p>

* * *

><p>She pressed her hands up against the glass eagerly, brown hair sweeping into her face and, impatiently, Annabel swiped it back. "She isn't here yet," she said, aggrieved. "Why isn't she here yet?"<p>

"Give her some time," Noelle said nonchalantly, kicking her feet up onto the bed.

"And you!" Annabel turned. "Get your feet off my pillow!"

Noelle gave an easy laugh. "Is that how you treat your friend?"

* * *

><p>The beginning of winter break had been a rough start for Noelle. Her mother had tried to tell her that platinum hair wasn't a very good look for her – and Noelle couldn't fathom why. She liked her hair color, a bright golden that she kept with many charms.<p>

Of course, it wasn't her real hair color. Her real hair color was much duller and had a tint of orange and red to it – strawberry blonde, Noelle supposed. But the main thing was that her mother could be really annoying sometimes.

"It's not any of your business if I want to get a tattoo!" Noelle had shouted at her mother, and her mother sunk into a chair, looking completely exhausted. She was a tiny woman, with once-bright coppery hair that faded to a dull ginger. The look of a woman who had given up all hope that her husband would suddenly fall in love with her again.

Sometimes, Noelle would catch glimpses of her other mother – the one with hair that suddenly was flame-colored, the one whose blue eyes shone with a passion and the wrinkles on her face seemed to lift when she smiled. And then her real mother, this sad, defeated one, would settle back, and she would wonder – would she be like that when she grew up? So utterly depressed?

And at that moment, Noelle knew – in a fit of clarity, an epiphany – that she didn't want to be that kind of woman. And she didn't want her mother to be that kind of woman either. So she knelt down besides her mother's chair and smiled a little helplessly at her mother. And that other mother came back as her mother smiled tentatively back.

"All right," Noelle said quietly. "You win. I'll change my hair back in the summer."

"Thank you."

The summer – not this winter break – because she didn't want anyone to know that her hair wasn't this natural cheerful color, and so Noelle had started to take off the charm a little bit. Now her hair just had a slight tint of orange to it, not immediately noticeable. Little by little, so it would look natural, as if she was growing into a different hair color.

"I'm home."

Her mother sprang up, the worried mother back, as Noelle's father blew into the house. He was bold, gorgeous, with a mane of bright golden hair that, unlike Noelle's, was natural, and an easy smile. A smile that was often fixed when he looked at his wife and daughter.

He was never very good at hiding when he was with another woman. The scent of flowers wafted towards Noelle and she wrinkled her nose. "Dad," she said. "You're home early."

"Of course, sunshine." The name, loving if someone else had said it, was stiff. "Had to pick up some stuff."

"Need a rubber?" Noelle asked scathingly, and Noelle's mother gasped quietly. "Or two?"

And then he grew. Not literally, but with his fury, he grew. Eyes darkened, knuckles turned white. "You will not talk to me that way!" he shouted, and blinding white pain as Noelle was slapped, head snapping to the side. Slow fire burned through her face and she couldn't help but cry a little, hot tears that seeped into a cut that her dad had made with those bloody rings of his. The pain would be over soon, she knew, when her mother drew her aside and healed the cuts, clucking over them. But she hated him – she absolutely _hated_ him. Was it normal, she wondered bleakly, to hate your dad so much? He was screaming at her, insults about her grades, what a disappointment she was, and she railed back half-heartedly. But she was shaken, and he could see from her tears that she was, for it was a bit hard to be angry and crying at the same time.

Then he was gone and it was like the muscles that kept Noelle standing left with him; her knees collapsed under her and her mother was muttering charms and insulting her father under her breath. Slowly, the pain went away and Noelle buried her face in her hands and _sobbed_.

"I hate this," she wept. "I hate this so much."

"We'll move to France soon, _mon cher_, we'll move to your Aunt Aimee and she'll take care of us."

But Noelle shook her head. "No," she said hollowly. "I can't go to Beauxbatons, I just _can't_. All my friends are at Hogwarts—"

If it wasn't for Hogwarts, she would be gone and packed up. But it was her friends that kept her alive and happy, it was her friends that gave her the strength, and her mother.

"I can't leave without you, Noelle. Heavens knows what he'd do—"

"You need to leave, Mom—get away from him."

"I have a better solution."

* * *

><p>"Please?"<p>

"I'll have to ask my father," Annabel said worriedly, chewing on her lip. "My mother would be fine with it, but I don't know about Dad."

"Please, your dad's cool – and Annabel, please." For a minute, Noelle looked desperate. "It's just for summer and winter break – and Annabel..."

For a minute, Annabel looked past the facade that Noelle carefully constructed and knew that Noelle was truly begging. "What about your mom?" she asked reluctantly. "Is she coming to? Because we only have one spare room—"

"She's staying with my aunt. Oh please—"

"Let me ask Dad."

* * *

><p>"You are a gem, Mr. Foster!" Noelle threw her arms around Annabel's dad, who laughed and patted her on the back. "Thank you, thank you! I'll be gone most of the day, to get out of your hair and—"<p>

"Relax," said Annabel's dad. "You're welcome to stay, Noelle, for as long as you want. Now, girls, can I get back to my newspaper?"

Annabel grinned. "Thanks, Dad! And-"

There was a knock at the door.

"Lily!"

The girls ran for the door, nearly tripping on themselves, and managed to reach the door. Annabel flung open the door and there was Lily, looking a bit nervous and then immediately relieved. "Hello," she said awkwardly. "Is this the Foster residence?"

"Oh come in, you silly girl."

And Noelle grinned, because there was always a part of Annabel that was missing when Lily wasn't around and vice versa. She ought to feel jealous, she figured, because this would make her feel like she wasn't as important as Lily was. But it was just part of Annabel's nature and there would always be this special understanding between Annabel and Lily that no matter how much Noelle tried, she would never understand.

* * *

><p>Alice most definitely wasn't coming.<p>

She had gotten the invitation, but there was a reason that she delayed writing back to Annabel's cheerful letters. Maybe she should use her father's owl to say that her owl was sick – no, that wouldn't work, they would just write using their owls and borrow each other's. Phooey, she really did need a solution.

In the end, she had just used that old pathetic excuse that she was sick (cough, cough) and etcetera. Woo.

And in the end, she hadn't really fooled any of them, for they had sent letters of fake sympathy that dissolved into laughter and said, "We miss you, Al! Come by sometimes. So-and-so made brownies and we've been dying to have a food taster. Beware – we think Noelle might've put rotten eggs in it," or, "Brownies were delicious – why didn't you come by? Do you not like us any more? Thanks a lot, Alice," and even, "There was this bit in the newspaper about a death of a Hogwarts girl named Daphne. Annabel thinks she met her once—" _Ha! _Alice thought with a bitter laugh, "—but Noelle and I have absolutely no idea."

Why would they?

And Annabel!

Oh, there were all these _signs_ now that Alice knew – she knew that her so-called friend was a freaking _murderer_. Those fake headaches that enabled her to go to the nurse's office. The sly looks she would give at your food – probably poisoning. In fact – Alice's eyes widened – she had once gotten one of those sly looks and had gotten a stomachache after eating only one bite.

"Bitch," grumbled Alice.

And she refused to think of all the good times – when Annabel helped her with the homework and they laughed and talked together; when they had shared a piece of a crumbly cake; when Annabel had helped her bury her dog.

There was a scritch-scratch as an owl alighted on her windowsill and hooted sleepily. It was Noelle's owl, she noted dully and took the paper.

_Great news, Ali-kins!_

Where the hell did they get all those strange nicknames?

_So, you know how I've been all weird and distracty? Well, Annabel – my savior – is letting me stay at her house for the winter break. Talk to you later – Christmas, maybe? We're spending the first part of the day at her house, then we're going over to James' MANSION – a freaking MANSION – and sharing presents because apparently, we've all gotten each other presents for some strange reason. I didn't get anything for Black. Should I get him a lump of coal?_

_ Ha. _

_ Love,_

_ Noelle._

She crumpled the paper and threw it into the fire. One line flared up: _Annabel – my savior –_

Yeah right.

* * *

><p>Yet, Alice somehow managed to get herself looped into the whole James thing when Noelle flooed into her house and said upon arriving, "You don't look sick at all," and then proceeded to bully her into coming and then flooed away.<p>

And it would be a pity not to give Annabel her present – and – Alice realized – if Annabel even suspected that Alice knew her deep, dark secret, then she would kill Alice.

Kill...

That was it. The minute they got back to Hogwarts, she was going to tell Professor Dumbledore.

* * *

><p>"IT'S CHRISTMAS!"<p>

She ran down the stairs like a little girl, excited beyond coherent belief and Noelle and Lily followed with tiny disbelieving laughs. "What are you, five?" Lily asked, and Annabel was reminded why she liked her friend so much when she wasn't around Blake.

"Yes, I am," said Annabel firmly before tearing into the presents.

An hour, she was richer with nice thick mittens that made a soft noise whenever she clapped, a gold necklace that clung snugly around her neck and more makeup than she could possibly use in a year and Lily was clad in an emerald green sweater that she smiled politely and accepted, (she rather hated the color green, for unfathomable reasons) and a bright gold clip for her hair (this, she accepted with much more enthusiasm.)

And Noelle – Noelle positively lit the room up with her large smile as she came out with a bright yellow dress the color of sunshine and she immediately left to change. When she came back, she was glowing with happiness.

Then it was time to go to the Potter residence and Annabel wore her new, amazing mittens and giggled like a fool because she was all bundled up until she was as fat as a little ball. Lily wore her green sweater and stood out like a Christmas present against the snow.

But the Potter residence – it was huge. A tall mansion the color of dirty iron that would look imposing was it not for the many strands of holly that someone had strung all over it. The gate was the same color, but had a lily tucked into the lock.

"Potter," sneered Lily, but she couldn't help but smile a little bit, a private smile that disappeared when the others looked at the lily.

"D'you think the others are there yet?" asked Annabel. She'd already sent David's present.

"You mean _Remus_?" snickered Noelle.

Annabel rolled her eyes, but butterflies flapped in her stomach. "Of course not. We're just friends, you lot. I meant, do you think Alice is there?"

"Perhaps." Noelle shoved open the gate and stalked down the snow-covered path to the door and hitting it.

"There's a door bell."

"'There's a door bell' _whatever_."

Then the door was opened.

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><p><strong>see? I was far too lazy to write anything proper D: APOLOGIES. But hopefully, the next chapter will be up sooner.<strong>

**ANYWAY, the reason I haven't been writing anything for a while is because i've been SEIZED by this idea that I've written about thirty thousand words for called, "The Mary-Sue Program." Now, I've had this idea for QUITE SOME TIME, but I've been revising it and I finally got to start writing it. It probably won't be published for quite some time, as I've been working on other non-fanfiction related works. But the gist is, "A girl gets transported into the Harry Potter world on two conditions. One: She must never change the future majorly. Two: She must steal the Sword of Gryffindor."**

**Review?**


	27. Winter Break Part Two

**You're all just so patient and lovely. You can blame this extra-short chapter on Hank and Katherine playing Super Mario Bros. (Hankgames on youtube)**

**Also, I'm going to go back to the old chapters and re-edit them. Just some quick grammatical changes and a few scene cutouts. Nothing major.**

**Feel free to scroll past the extra-long review replies.**

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><p>Chapter Twenty-Five: Winter Break (Part Two)<p>

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><p>Review Replies: <strong>Aleiha:<strong> awww, thank you soo much. I honestly don't think my writing is as fantastic as other fanfictioners on this site, but you're just too sweet. I just take extra-long breaks for some strange reason, and I work on personal projects as well. **marycaity:** FLUFF IS ON THE WAY, MOSTE BENEVOLENT READER. I THANKEST THOU FOR WAITING. **Erarya:** Thank you for all the amazing reviews! I'm going to try to go in order. Immaturity is amazing. It's partly because I'm immature that I'm still writing this story. And Sirius is an ass. Hahahahaha, I told my friend, Emily (WenttoManderleyAgain) about that. I like David and Marna as well, which is why there are some complications with getting rid of them. AH. don't remind of secrets of a seventh year. That story was awful. I actually was not planning on making any evil people come bursting into the Potter's parties, because I'm fairly certain that James is not THAT popular. It would be a good idea for a crack!fic, though. **Z-Aquarius-Kai:** Wow! I rarely hear of people reviewing if the review button didn't work the first time. Exams. I hate exams. Ooh, I've always liked names that started with Z, but my goal in life is to meet someone named Mary. Aquarian is awesome. Kai...I, frankly, don't watch anime (does Avatar: TLA count?) so I can't say anything about that. I did a one-shot about Regulus and an OC which I tried to make almost-perfect, and I sorta think I wore out that ship for me. 3: I don't know if I'll do a fanfiction after BD. It depends. **EmilyLupin77**: BLAIREY. HELLO. IT IS NICE TO SEE YOU HERE AND I AM SORRY I HAVE NOT BEEN ON HR OR ANY OTHER RP SITE FOR AGES. LUV YOU. **Potterphileprincess:** Thank you! **HI:** THROWS PARTY HATS TO HER REVIEWERS. THANK YOU. HERE IS THE NEXT CHAPTER. **Woodshrew:** I frankly think I need to expand on the whole Annabel/Alice shebang. And I probably shouldn't have left the story on an awful cliffy like that. **HGromanticsap:** aahhh, I'm sorry. You waited for over a month. **clovetf:** I honestly don't know if I'm going to ever finish that story. I'm about 33,000 words in, but other than that, it's going poorly. D: **Amehhh:** Haha, thank you for your kind wishes. About the updating soon bit...yeah... **Dinosaurs go Rawr:** Kill Black? I think a bunch of people at that Sirius Black fan site (how did I forget its name?) would kill ME. **Queer King stephen: **Awww, thank you. Yes, Professor Feibe is very annoying and I look forward to her demise - if it happens. **Poseidon's Daughter Apollos Lover:** Fanfiction kept making your name into a period, so I had to break it up. Sorry! YES YOU UPDATED. YOU ARE SPECIAL. haha.** Crazily Obsessed:** Maybe. If I ever manage to finish it. Strukkfirst? You two know each other? Whoops, sorry, didn't mean to pry. **WentToManderleyAgain:** Tumblr's a prat sometimes. youuuuu neeeddd toooo writteee, Emmmmmillyyyyyy. I nearly spelled your name "Emely." That would've been awful. **Book Freak 112233:** I am a poor sickly person. Too bad that excuse didn't work this time 'round. :) Thank you!

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><p>Quote: Use your penguin parts! ~Hank and Katherine play Super Mario Bros<p>

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><p>Dear Diary,<p>

I haven't written in here for a while, so I suppose it was high time that I actually did. I'm going over to James Potter's house, and boy am I not excited. Presents, piled up in my arms, make it hard to floo over there – I'm using _plenty_ of rope though, no fear.

I'm still so confused about Annabel. I mean – I'm going to tell Dumbledore about my suspicions when I get back to Hogwarts, but as of right now, I just can't think about – well...

She's my friend – she _was_ my friend, and now I can't fathom what she is. She's always so happy whenever she's with me and then she'll act like I'm the strangest person in the world.

Agh. I hate this so much.

Love,

Alice.

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><p>Lily's first thought was, <em>Well, crap.<em>

And it was rightly so. For the one, the only James Potter was shirtless and leering down at them like some weird stalker that was totally not handsome. At all.

Noelle, tossing her slightly-orange tinted hair over her shoulder, said, "It's forty and below, James. What the hell are you doing without a shirt?"

Annabel was blushing.

Lily was looking away.

James looked at Annabel and Lily and grinned. "Well," he said, "I was in a game and it was getting pretty heated—"

"Save it," Noelle said, looking at her friends and grinning as well. "But put on a shirt, Potter. I think you're making my friends uncomfortable."

"What? It's not like they're not secretly enjoying it -"

"Potter, I will shove you into the snow."

James's mouth clamped shut. "Right, then," he said after a moment. "Weren't you all coming in?"

"Of course," Annabel said with a beam. "How generous of you."

James grinned lewdly at Lily, who turned both bright red and furious at the same time. "Potter –" she started.

"Save it," James said with that same grin, even though it was starting to shrink. The girls came in, blasted by warm air that made them realize how cold they really were after being out in the snow. They stomped snow off their boots, adjusting to the temperature and their frigid fingertips started to become warm again.

"Is Alice here?" Annabel asked hopefully.

"Alice? Nope. I thought she'd come with you. We've the Floo Network set up portals, though, so it ought to be all right. And she knows where I live."

"Oh, she does, doesn't she?" Lily said grumpily. "I don't suppose you invited Blake, did you?"

The corded muscles of James's back tensed slightly. "No," he said almost curtly, and then there was a whoop and a black-haired boy stumbled into the hallway. It was Noelle's turn to tense up slightly, but Sirius didn't give her even a glance – and somehow, that hurt her almost as much – whooping and hollering.

"Hello, girls!" he said gaily, if he could be called that. There was a lopsided hat of green and red perched hapazardly on his head and the girls stood stiffly with faked grins at him. "Your dear friend Alice has just arrived by Floo."

"Alice!" cried Annabel, shoving aside the boys – "Hey!" said James, but she ignored him – and racing towards the chimney. Her friend was standing there with an armfold of presents and said presents fell to the ground as Annabel tackled her friend in a deluxe-Annabel hug.

However, the hug was not returned.

Annabel leaned back a bit, hurt. "Why didn't you return my owls?"

"Busy," said Alice curtly.

"Oh."

This awkward silence was broken when Lily and Noelle came charging in and promptly tackled their friend as well. "Where have you _been_?" shouted Lily, but she was smiling and her cheeks were a pretty shade of pink.

Noelle said nothing, just hugged Alice.

Alice gathered up the presents and looked around. "So...where do I put these?"

"I don't know," said Annabel, hugging the bag holding her own presents to her chest. "JAMES! WHERE DO WE PUT THESE PRESENTS?"

"Want to open presents under the tree?"

"Yeah, sure – _whoa_."

"That is not a tree, James. That is a mutated plant."

"Plants are trees – trees are plants, are they not?"

"Put some Engorgement charm on it, didn't you?"

"_May_be."

They were all staring at the green evergreen looming far above their heads, dwarfing the Christmas tree at gold, red and green baubles encrusted with frosty glitter decorated it, long loops of tinsel draped around the branches. Bells tinkled faintly and an angel probably half Annabel's size was posed at the top, porcelain painted lips ready to sing.

"You are one spoiled brat," said Noelle, and then winced, for that was not how she intended it to come out. James's thin smile showed his offense. "Sorry. I—uh—"

"S'lright," he said with a little shrug, and then grinned. "Are you going to put the presents or not?"

Compared to the tree, the presents were very, very small.

"Alice?" Annabel asked timidly, but the other girl just turned away.

* * *

><p>Things started to pick up when Remus and Peter arrived.<p>

Remus and Peter were the only people who weren't in some kind of a knot with someone else. James was always trying to win Lily over, Sirius was ignoring Noelle, Noelle was trying to ignore Sirius, Lily was ignoring James, Annabel was trying to talk to Alice, and Alice ignoring her perfectly.

So naturally, when Remus and Peter came, they saw a room of people not talking to each other.

"I see this is where the party's at," Peter noted.

"Hello!" Annabel said, giving Remus a quick hug before she could help herself. She smelled chocolate and grinned. It was like the boy bathed in it.

"Butterbeer?" Remus asked mildly, hugging her back and then letting go.

"We have a bunch of it," pointed out James.

"One can never have enough butterbeer."

"I fold to reason."

* * *

><p>And of course, things picked up with Sirius once all the Marauders were around.<p>

He picked up an empty bottle of butterbeer. "Spin the bottle?" he asked.

"Absolutely not," said Alice.

"Pfffft."

"Truth or dare," murmured Annabel quietly.

Truth or dare it was.

* * *

><p>And things dropped quickly when they played truth or dare.<p>

* * *

><p>It started off well enough. "Who was your first kiss?" to James (<em>Clarissa Santanos)<em>. "Where was it?" (_In a pub_.) "You were drunk?" _(Er...maybe_.)

And then the questions grew raunchier. "If you had to kiss someone in this group right now, who would it be?" to Sirius. (_James,'course.")_ "Thought you were straight." (_Pffft, who said it had to be romantic?_) "So why no girls?" (_Cause you're all off limits._) He punctuated that last statement with a glance at Noelle, who acquired the look of someone punched in the stomach.

And then Annabel, who couldn't help herself, asked to Alice, "Why are you mad at me?"_ (You know very well_.) "But I don't." (_Then you'll soon find out_).

And then Noelle asked Remus, "Did you ever have a crush on someone in this group?" and a hesitant, (_Yes_.) "Who?" _(Someone_.) "This is truth or dare. You have to answer." (_How about some chocolate?)_ "I cave to bribery."

Annabel was feeling warm. He had a crush on someone? But whom?

"Open presents?" James asked.

* * *

><p>The presents were fair, and they received them with joy. Remus liked the bear, giving Annabel a big smile that warmed her down to her toes. James gave Lily a gift that she hesitantly opened, narrowing her eyes at him. Alice gave everyone a present, even Annabel, which made Annabel even happier. True, the present looked hastily wrapped, but it was the thought that counted, right?<p>

What she didn't know was that though Alice gave Annabel a quick, hasty smile, she tucked Annabel's present in the bottom of her rucksack.

* * *

><p>And of course, everything came full circle when Lily stumbled into the wrong room.<p>

She needed to use the bathroom – it was a reasonable thing to do, after drinking an entire bottle of butterbeer – and Sirius had directed her down the hall and into the first room on the left.

Perhaps it hadn't been the best idea to get instructions from Sirius, but he had a completely honest look on his face. So she took his word for it, walked down the hall and into the first room on the left.

And it was not a bathroom.

Indeed, she would've backed out instantly was it not for the drawings.

At first, she thought them to be pictures, but they were too sketchy and too devoid of backgrounds for that. There were dogs, stags, rats, cars, houses, trees...so many subjects, but hardly any humans. There was a child, maybe six years old, holding an ice cream cone, her hair pulled into two wispy pigtails.

But whom did they belong to?

It took a little while for Lily to figure it out, but after spotting an open book labeled _James_, she saw hints that he lived there. A Gryffindor tie draped over the bedspread. A spare eyeglass case.

"Uh—Lily?"

Lily whirled around. "I'm sorry!" she said instinctively. "I was looking for the bathroom – stumbled in here – saw the drawings – aah, I'll just – leave—"

She tried to shove her way past James who was halfway in the room, but then there was an almost-magical chiming noise and her feet suddenly couldn't go a few steps anywhere, front or back. "James Potter! What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" said James.

"Then why can't I move?"

"Uh, well – oh."

He pointed upward.

A hint of green leaves and white berries was above them, glowing faintly.

"Mistletoe," spat Lily.

"Look – Lily –"

"Curse it! Hex it! Get a match and set it on flames! Just – let – me – go!" The last four words were punctuated with sharp pokes in the chest.

"Lily, it's not my fault!"

"Then make it stop!"

"It's _enchanted_! You have to do what you're told. We have to kiss."

At that, Lily flushed bright red, partly with anger, partly with...well, she didn't know what else with, and she was glad that the lights were so dim in James's room.

"On the lips?" she exclaimed.

It was evident that the others couldn't hear her, for the walls were thick and the lights dim. His hazel eyes glittered brightly in the reflection of the candles, the dark green leaves of that traitorous little plant turning slowly above them.

"I—" and James seemed to shrink just a little bit. "Of course not lips," he said, and his tone was a tad deflated.

"Oh." She seemed mighty relieved.

James grinned at Lily, and presented his cheek with a little flourish.

There was a soft brush of lips against his cheek and he opened his eyes to see Lily already walking out. He held his hand against his cheek, someone bemused, and then a slow smile spread across his face.

"Prat!" he heard her say in the hall.

* * *

><p>The girls left an hour or two after that, Annabel, Alice and Noelle giving the Marauders hugs (excepting Sirius in Noelle's case), with Lily bidding Remus a farewell and waiting at the doorstep for the others.<p>

"Lily, you all right?" Noelle asked.

Lily flushed scarlet. "I'm fine," she said briskly. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>"Prongs? Mate, are you all right?"<p>

Sirius looked both worried and bored.

"I'm fine," James said, twirling a dried scrap of mistletoe between his fingers. "Just thinking."

* * *

><p>"You know," Sirius said when he and Remus were in the living room drinking butterbeer. He was upside down, knees resting on the seat of the armchair, chin resting on the ground and arms pillowed before him. It made it very hard to drink butterbeer, but he was up for the challenge. "I was thinking about Noelle."<p>

"This ought to be good," snorted Remus.

"Shut up. She looked different, didn't she?"

"Not to me."

"Yes—she did."

"And how so?"

"I thought she looked more free."

* * *

><p><strong>Hopefully, the next chapter will be up soon!<strong>


	28. Confrontations and Crying

**So I go away for three or two months and FF decides to go and change everything. Thanks. A lot. And I know this is majorly overdue, but it's summer now, and summer = (hopefully) faster updates! Also, it helps (but not really) that some of my favorite shows (Young Justice, LOK, Doctor Who, Merlin) are all on hiatus. (even though I want my daily dose of entertainment). Also - different style of formatting! I'm taking out the story plot, and replacing that with recaps. Also, hopefully the cover of this story is coming up! And this chapter has a lot of Clara in it.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-Six: Confrontations and Crying<p>

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><p>Review Replies: <strong>Flyleaf Lover 13:<strong> I'm glad you found your pulse! it would be mildly scary if you were to become a zombie. Starkid is awesome. **Ripredisawesome98:** I like Sirius and I like Noelle. I may or may not like them together. Thank you for reading!** Cake-san:** Aah! Hello Laez Nena! I'm glad you're taking care of my plot-bunny-cat. *waves* **Jibbette**: I love you too, and thank you for reading! I'm so glad you like the characters, and I know that Annabel was a Mary-Sue in the beginning... *mutters about how she may be a mary sue now.. o.o*** Amehhh:** Aw, thank you! I know that it was really shallow in the beginning, and I'm hoping to redeem that!** Queer king stephen: **Ahahaha, thank you! **Z-Aquarius-Kai:** I just recently met a Mary. It. Was. Awesome. Jak? How strange...** HGromanticsap:** You know, I was looking at the earliest reviews for this thing, and I was just overwhelmed that you were one of the first people - and I guess it's awesome that you still stuck around! *hoping that you don't go anytime soon*.** Clevernugget: **I thought it was a bit corny, actually, but thank you!** BookFreak112233:** DFTBA. Does that answer your question? ahaha. Thank you!** WentToManderleyAgain:** I know I've been a crap correspondance and a crap beta, but I hope I can make it up to you..?

* * *

><p>Recaps: Creepy girl named Farrah decides to kill Daphne for some strange reason, and Sirius says that she smells like a wolf (not a werewolf). Someone's memories are intruding into Annabel's, and she was given a potion to help by Madam Pomfrey, but that was months ago and she's forgotten about it. Alice is ignoring Annabel because she thinks Daphne's murder was caused by Annabel. And it's been confirmed that Professor Feibe is (sometimes) Crystal. Clara Jurasa is Annabel's nemesis, has a crush on Sirius, and gets along fairly well with most people.<p>

* * *

><p>Quote: Don't be so humble-you're not that great. ~ Golda Meir<p>

* * *

><p>The end of winter break came quickly – far too quickly, in Annabel's opinion. And with a sigh, she and Noelle got out their suitcases and started packing their belongings. They were going to leave for the train station in less than five hours – barely enough time, as Noelle complained loudly.<p>

She was still getting used to the idea of Noelle staying at her house. At first, it was like having a guest that didn't leave, and for the first few days everyone was unnaturally polite to each other. It was weird for Noelle and even weirder for Annabel.

And then Noelle and Annabel squabbled over who would get the last cup of Annabel's mom's delicious honey cocoa with the frothy marshmallows and then it was like they were sisters. Being around Noelle made her think of the sister she never had, which was strange because before then, the person she always thought to be of as her sister was Lily. She and Noelle stayed up late talking about _everything_. Boys, makeup, sexy people, everything.

It was nice and she defintely felt that she and Noelle had bonded over the past few days into a stronger friendship.

She also, when looking at old pictures, noticed that Noelle's hair was changing from a bright, lustrous gold to something more subdued. For as long as she had remembered, Noelle's hair had always been that gorgeously bright shade and so long too. It was a very small change, admittedly – most of the hair was still gold, but there was a streak of orange here and there, and the dimming of the color by the fraction of a shade.

"Gosh," said Noelle. "I, frankly, cannot wait until we see the others. It's been a whole two weeks since we've last met at Christmas." Here, her face grew slightly pensive and she frowned, sitting down on her makeshift bed with a slight, soft _thump_.

"Mm," said Annabel, holding a quill between her teeth as she stomped on a stack of clothes with a stockinged foot. It was a good quill, one of a set that someone had given her for Christmas. It was already filled with ink and when you dipped it in an inkwell, it automatically filled itself up again. "Great for long writing, and shaves off two minutes or more on your writing time!" advertised the box, though she wondered what good two minutes would do.

"Alice seems mad at you, don't you think?"

Annabel's teeth clamped together as her heart wrenched again. Alice. For the past two weeks, she was puzzling over what exactly she did wrong in every single moment of free time. Her letters and pleas were ignored – perhaps the two of them were the same thing. Plea-letters. Well, she must've sent over twenty of those plea-letters, and not a single one of them were replied. She was at a loss of what to do next.

As her teeth clamped together, the quill broke between them, flooding her mouth with the taste of ink. She retched, almost spitting the ink onto her new white sweater, but thankfully, she realized what she was about to spit on and raced towards the bathroom. Noelle followed behind, speaking rapidly.

"I mean," she said as Annabel vigorously washed her mouth, "She and I have sent over thirty letters in correspondance this summer, and not one has mentioned you at all. She's said, 'You, me, Lily.' There's no mention of you at all!" She sounded more puzzled and confused than spitingly. "She's even talked about Clara!"

Annabel spat out inky water. "Clara? That bitch? What on earth did Alice have to say anything about _her_ for?"

"She mentioned something about how Clara had kindly lent her a new jacket. Clara's not that bad, Annabel. I don't know why you two don't like each other."

"Neither do I," said Annabel haughtily. "She, apparently, doesn't like me. I'm just a mirror."

"What a stupendous metaphor," Noelle said dryly. "Seriously – what does Alice have against you?"

"Honestly? I'm sick to death of trying to find out." Annabel sighed. "Maybe you can wrest it out of her at Hogwarts."

"Maybe," said Noelle thoughtfully.

* * *

><p>"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THAT STUPID MAN!"<p>

Lily was in one of her rare fits of fury – full on outrage. Throwing unbreakable things everywhere. A stone, empty ink pot crashed against the wall and left a sizeable dent. "I don't!" she shouted. "I don't—don't—don't!"

"Don't be a bitch, Lily," sneered Petunia as their mother tried to calm Lily down. "Nobody in this family likes Uncle H., but you don't see us throwing a tantrum about it. Is that another side effect of being a vile _creature_?" She spat out the word like it was a curse, and in her mouth, it was.

"Petunia!" exclaimed their mother. She was a tall, stately woman with lines around her face where age and time had carved their mark. Lily had inherited her hair from her; Petunia had inherited her tallness and slenderness, though on Petunia's horsey face they looked awful. Neither of them had gotten Marie Evan's calm temper and got their father's violent, fiery temperment.

"Well it's easy for you to say!" shouted Lily. "'Oh, Uncle H., it's _so_ kind of you to come and help us while Da's gone to work. Oh, Uncle H., I'd be just _delighted_ to have you eat all the food in this house like some ginormous pig. Oh, Uncle H., I'm _glad_ to stand by and watch you try to awkwardly flirt with Mum!' Isn't that right, Petunia?"

"Lily," said Marie Evans with a tired sigh.

"No, Mum, it isn't right! He's a—a—he's an ass!"

The door rang.

"The ass's here," Petunia spat out, swirling around and making for the door.

"Well," Lily said coldly, "I have to leave for Hogwarts in half an hour. I suppose it wouldn't really matter if I left early?" She planted a chaste kiss on her mother's cheek. "Don't worry, Mum. He wouldn't dare to try anything, right?"

"Of course not, dear," said her mother, looking slightly annoyed. "You know I can defend myself."

Lily allowed herself a slight smile. Yes. Her mother had taught them self defense when they were little – simple, dirty tricks. And indeed, she had (secretly) read her mother's journals. They were amazing things, those journals, and she wanted to be able to write one herself, except she didn't have the patience that it required. In those journals, she talked about how she and her friend had secretly learned a type of jujitsu (which was, in Lily's opinion, hilarious that her mild-mannered mother was adept at jujitsu.)

"Love ya," said Lily, brushing past Petunia, who was full of fake smile for her uncle. Lily's nose wrinkled involuntarily.

Uncle H. ate most of the food in the house, and yet he remained thin as a rail, with a head of thick black hair and a gaunt, narrow face. "How pleasant to see you," he said courteously, "Lilianna."

"Lily isn't short for anything," said Lily. "I'm named after the flower. Good day, Uncle H."

* * *

><p>She was surprised to see that when she got to the station, she wasn't the only one there. Well, of course she wasn't the only one there, but there was one other person whom she knew.<p>

James.

He was drawing.

Drawing!

He had a sort of faraway smile on his face as he sketched on a piece of paper, black hair falling in his face, and her heart beated a bit blatantly and she had to think about Blake fiercely to keep herself from blushing. Blake. Sweet, kind, nice Blake who was always the _perfect_ gentleman. Nothing like Potter, who was flirtatious and perverted.

In a ni—

In a bad way. In a very, very bad way.

She hesitated for too long. James looked up, and his eyes widened as he saw her. "Lily," he said in a voice just loud enough to carry to her, and then, "Lily! Hey!"

Lily grimaced and then walked over. "Hi. James. Er—how are you doing?"

"Oh—fine."

There was an awkward silence, in which Lily sat down and James coughed, flipping his notebook shut.

"Oh!" said Lily. "Don't close it."

James turned to her sharply. There had been a smile in her voice, and now there was a smile on her mouth. "I like your drawings," she explained lightly, reaching for the notebook, and he remembered that there was a picture of her in there. _A picture of her in there_. "May I see?"

"No!" he stammered, blushing, and she stared at him. He looked flustered, something that she was amused to see. She'd never though she'd see the day where James Potter would be flustered. "Ahem. I mean, ah, Sirius and, er, Peter, they, um, wrote some stuff in here that, er—"

"That you wouldn't like me to see?"

"Yes. Because, uh, they—you, wouldn't like it."

"I see."

He was lying, and they both knew it.

* * *

><p>Alice was disgusted.<p>

There they all were, just sitting there. Laughing. Talking. Just joking around. She arrived a few minutes early, and was standing there near the platform, clutching Frank's hand so tightly that he was (slightly) in pain.

"Look at them!" she said, outraged. "They—they—"

"They don't know," finished Frank in that calm manner of his.

"Dumbledore's going to annouce it, though, right?"

"Right."

* * *

><p>So they were on the train, Annabel, Noelle and Lily. And they were in a compartment. And they were having a jolly good time, apart from fretting about Alice, when <em>she<em> just had to walk in.

Not Alice. Clara.

She was gorgeous as ever, with her flawless makeup and her form-fitting clothes, and Annabel scowled, but the other two just said, "Oh—hi Clara!"

"I need to talk to you," said Clara, and she was looking at Annabel.

"Hmmm," said Annabel. "No."

"I _really_ need to talk to you."

"What, so you can humiliate me?" Annabel's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe you. No."

"Oh, for crying out loud—" Clara's hand snatched out, long pink nails digging into Annabel's skin, and she dragged Annabel down the corridor into an empty comparment. "Listen. I'm not here to – to be angry with you or whatev, but you need to hear what I have to say."

"Huh," said Annabel. "So what are we? Best friends now? Little too late, I'm 'fraid."

"Oh please, Foster, after this I'd be delighted to go back to being insult-swapping bitches again. But that teacher – Ms. Feibe—"

"What about her?" asked Annabel sharply.

"She's – she's not Professor Feibe."

"You're not making any sense, Clara. Giving those two brain cells quite a workout, now, aren't you?"

Clara closed her eyes and controlled herself. "What I'm _trying_ to say, you moron, is that Professor Feibe is behind all of these attacks. In a way. I don't know how. But she's been acting strangely lately. I—I know this woman."

"Uh-huh," said Annabel. "And what's so special about this woman you know?"

"Her name's Crystal, and she and I met when I was little. Very little – I'm not surprised she doesn't recognize me. Her eyes – I've never seen anyone with the same eyes, and sometimes Professor Feibe's eyes change, haven't you noticed? Sometimes, they have _the same eyes_. Bright blue. Anyway, I don't know if that means anything, but lately, her eye has been on you, so I'm telling you this before you become a blue statue in a hospital bed. Bye."

Then Clara was gone and Annabel sat down in the empty compartment, bewildered and shocked.

_Merlin_.

* * *

><p>Clara held her hand to her head in exhaustion. Physically defying Crystal's will had taken a lot more out of her than she'd like to admit. It was easy for the younger witch to store up her natural power while retaining the facade that she was a regular student, but to project the magic sneakily? Very, very hard.<p>

She knew that Daphne Winter was killed, and by Crystal, but not only Crystal. Clara had no idea how – or why – this was happening, but it was _exhausting_. No, she was not an overly clever witch, but compared to how those other bloody idiots were trying to figure out what was happening, she seemed like a real genius.

It helped, of course, that she had the portrayal as the snotty popular girl – which she would _happily_ return to being after all this nonsense was sorted out, but Merlin, it was hard doing this on her own. She'd like to ask some other people for help, but of course, no one wold believe her. Annabel didn't even seem to believe her, though that was somewhat premeditated, seeing as she and the other girl hated each other.

After Clara had heard that Daphne Winter was killed, she used her father – a well-known worker in the Ministry of Magic – to sneak into his office and find the files of Daphne Winter. Which wasn't too hard. It should've been harder, considering.

_Death by dark magic that was made to look as if it was a stroke_...

Well, that much was obvious.

It listed golems and inderwinders as the likely cause of Daphne's death, and the term "inderwinder" caught Clara's attention. She'd heard of the inderwinder – it and the golem were both animated creatures, but golems obeyed their masters and when not in use, didn't think. Inderwinders were large-by-large real beings that had a brain and thought, until the owner put it out of commission. They were fearless and loyal, but were summoned up by dark magic, which was why they were usually not good.

Inderwinder. That seemed likely.

* * *

><p>"Are you all right?" asked Noelle when Annabel stumbled her way back to their compartment.<p>

"Had a headache," lied Annabel. "A—frightful one."

Her stomach churned. "And now a stomachache. I'm going to the loo."

She went down the hallway to the bathroom, floor slipping under her feet, though in reality it was rather stable, and locked herself in the bathroom before retching, throwing up what little was in her stomach. Her head _hurt_, and vaguely she figured that it was karma for lying to Noelle.

And then – oh God – the memories came back.

Last time they were there, they were full of passion for a man named Charles to whom she had no amour to, which made it very puzzling. But this time, they were full of rage and hatred.

**How dare he do that to her! How dare he jilt her, like she was a common barnyard animal – and how dare he say that he did nothing.**

** Fist against wood and then her arm was hurting like hell, the shock radiating through her whole body, and she was full of anger towards anyone who even dared to try and come to comfort ****her. **

** It wouldn't have been as bad if it hadn't come so soon – so soon after **_**it**_**.**

And Annabel couldn't help it – she was curious. How could one not be curious? What was _it_? Who jilted whom? Her stomach was still hurting, her headache still raging, and she cursed herself for being a fool and not carrying around Madam Pomfrey's potion that allegedly helped.

"What's it?" Annabel whispered into the silent air. "_What's it_?"

Silence.

"Oh, fine then," said Annabel peevishly. "Just ignore me, like you did for months."

There came a banging at the door. "HEY!" cried some girl. "You've been in there fer ages! Geddout!"

Annabel turned on the faucet and washed her face and hands before opening the door. "Took yeh long enough," muttered the girl, slamming the door behind Annabel.

Annabel sighed.

* * *

><p>The "Welcome-back" feast was jolly at first, even with the people who had stayed at Hogwarts over winter break telling other people about the dead girl, and then Dumbledore stood up. "May I have your attention, please?"<p>

Everyone quieted and turned towards Dumbledore.

"We have had a tragic accident."

And if it was possible, everything became even more quiet.

"Daphne Winter, a sixth year in Ravenclaw, had a stroke on the Hogwarts Express," he said, and some people gasped at the Ravenclaw table, but most had a blank expression on their faces. "Unfortunately, Daphne did not survive."

He went on about how this shows that life is so short and we must live it to its fullest, and everyone had these weird, blank expressions on their faces, and Alice was tearing up, dabbing at her eyes with a hanky that she stole from Frank (or more like he gave it kindly to her) and when it ended, there was a more sober cast to the feast.

What had Alice expected? Tears. Sobbing. Nostalgic expressions about all the good times they had with Daphne Winter. Full-out bawling. But instead, she heard, "Who was she?" "The quiet Ravenclaw girl." "Fool. There's a lot of quiet Ravenclaw girls." "Well, she was one of them, then!"

And then:

"I hear that it wasn't an innocent stroke."

"Yeah. My mum works at the Ministry and she told my dad that a girl at Hogwarts had been _murdered_. By dark magic."

"Could it be by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"Naw, it happened on the Hogwarts Express. And why would he do that?"

"To frighten everyone! Throw us off our guards when we mourn!"

"Tchah. I mean – I'm sorry she's gone and everything, but I didn't even hear of her. Like, at all. You can tell He-Who-Has-A-Stick-Up-His-Arse that _I_ won't be off my guard."

"Mm."

All that talk was making Alice queasy and she wanted to scream. But instead, she quietly left the Hall and cried her heart out in the corridors. This was not what she had expected, and it was all Annabel's fault.

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><p>Daphne had died.<p>

Annabel was in shock. Was this why Alice was mad at her? She knew that Alice and Daphne were – had been – friends, but how was she responsible for Daphne's death? All Annabel wanted to do was chase down her friend and ask her _what the hell was going on because she honestly didn't know_, but she couldn't find Alice.

It was high time that she greeted her boyfriend, anyways. So she looked around, spotted David's group and headed over. When she came closer, it appeared that the aforementioned boy was indeed not even there. "Have you lot seen David?" she asked, resisting the urge to check her makeup and make sure her mascara hadn't run.

"He's in the Hospital Wing," said Marie, the purple-eyed girl. "With Fauna." She seemed to direct this like she would a cutting knife, and Annabel felt indeed that she had been cut.

"Oh. Er – I have to ask him something. Thank you."

Quickly, but not too quickly, because then it would look as if she was avoiding them, she turned on her heel and made a beeline for the corridor, which was busy. Why did she feel hurt, then? They were friends, Fauna and David, and it was natural that he be keeping vigil by her side.

She turned into a quieter hallway and heard sharp footprints coming from behind her and then someone placed a hand on her shoulder. She stiffened, hand reaching for her wand, Clara's words in her mind, and relaxed when she saw it was Charlotte, Fauna's twin sister. "Oh!" she said. "Hello, Charlotte. Visiting your sister?"

"No," said Charlotte. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Can – Can it wait?"

"No. Are you breaking up with David?"

"No," said Annabel promptly. "No, I am not."

"You should."

Annabel gave a shaky laugh. "I—I don't know what game you're playing here—"

"No game. Only the truth." Charlotte took a step closer and Annabel winced. Though the twins looked remarkably similar, she always thought that she and Charlotte were on friendly terms. Evidently, not. "You should break up with David. You don't love him."

"I like him!" excliamed Annabel. "Who are you to tell me how I feel?"

"You don't like him more than you like Remus," snapped Charlotte, and Annabel recoiled. "It's true, innit? I've seen the way you look at Remus, like you've got a thousand words you're dying to tell him, but they're not good enough to express the way you feel." Sometimes, Annabel really hated the way Ravenclaws spoke. They had this eloquent way of expressing feelings, and this was one of them.

"I—"

"And you know that my sister loves him, don't you? Are you doing this out of spite?"

"I—no! I didn't even really know Fauna before I started dating David!" exclaimed Annabel, thoroughly upset by now. "She hated me."

"Well, my sister has liked David for years. Years." Charlotte's voice cracked and her fierce mask cracked for just an instant to reveal a sister. "And then – and then _you_ come along and you date him and you break her and it's just not fair, is it? Because you love Remus, but you insist on dating David even though he and Fauna have this sorta chemistry between them."

"REMUS," shouted Annabel, "is dating MARNA."

"But you don't even like Marna," said Charlotte. "David's been talking about nothing but Fauna recently. Not you."

And then she was walking off, and Annabel was feeling cold, like all the warmth was leached out of her, and she wanted to cry for the second time that day. She regained her composure – what little was left of it – and walked to the Hospital Wing, ready to confront David about his feelings.

Marna was there too, blue, but Remus wasn't by her side. He checked in often, as Annabel knew, but the only visitor was David, the subtle light cast by the moonlight.

"It's weird, Fauna," she heard him say in a soft, gentle voice, and she wished to cry for the third time that day because that was the voice that he used to use with her, to tell her that she was beautiful in those fleeting sunny moments they would have every now and then. "I miss you much, much more than I thought I would've...and that's saying something, because I thought I'd miss you quite a lot." He gave a gentle chuckle and brushed a strand of hair away from Fauna's face and Annabel didn't say anything before turning and walking away.

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><p><strong>ReviewComment?**


	29. Farrah, Tension, and Breakups

**Man, it's been a while, hasn't it? Anyway, sorry for the late update, and I also gotta say that I'm so sorry, but this story will only be until the end of sixth year. Sorry! It's just that I want to make this sweeter and more concise, but at the same time, I do have a life. Thanks for sticking with me so far!**

**Also, I'm re-editing the story and will be re-uploading Chapter One. There will be changes, not absolutely huge ones, but more scenes and more stuff.**

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><p>Chapter Twenty-Three: Farrah, Tension, and Breakups<p>

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><p>Reviews: <strong>halopez18:<strong> Thank you!** NumberOneNarcissist:** Well thank you very much! Yeah, I plan to go back and edit and clarify stuff, because I know it's really confusing *winces* but yeah, I'm planning to pick up the romance pace a bit.** HGromanticsap:** MAN. I feel like I should give you a PRIZE or something XD.** Queer king stephen: **Yeah, I feel bad for Annabel too...mostly because of what I've got planned for her...** Sophia Alice Rosalie Potter:** Well that's great! Congrats!** Ashely**: Oh wow, I feel guilty for not updating for three months. Thank you, though!** snarlingwolf:** dawwww, thank you! **marauderlove:** Thank you!** Ripredisawesome98**: awww, thank you! And yeah, poor Annabel, she just gets the worst things ever, huh? **AmandaMau:** Nope! :)** EmilyLupin77:** Aaaahh, yes, I should probably start recapping past chapters...I DID NOT UPDATE ALL SUMMER. I am a failure. XD.** strukkfirst:** Yep! Love Avatar, but I disliked the romance in LOK and it sorta ruined part of the show for me-Asami was awesome, thoug, so that totally made up for it! And yeah, I just want Fauna to come back, but...** Dark Fire Pixie:** Asdkljdfakldsf thank you so much! Your review just totally made my day :3** WentToManderleyAgain:** BAHAHAHA ahm ehem. maaaannnnn i totally ship david/fauna now.

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><p>Recap: Farrah's a creepy girl who smells like a wolf (not a werewolf), there's a blue wolf on the prowl turning people blue, Daphne Winter is Alice's friend who died, Alice is ignoring Annabel because she thinks Annabel killed Daphne, Marna and Fauna are still unconscious and blue, Blake is Lily's boyfriend who is an UTTER creep and Annabel doesn't like him, Professor Feibe is Crystal in disguise.<p>

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><p>Quote: The Venn Diagram of boys who don't like smart girls and boys you don't want to date is a circle. ~ John Green<p>

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><p>"Alice?"<p>

It was whispered by Annabel, who stared pleadingly at Alice, whose back stiffened. The curtains were drawn and Annabel was left staring at red velvet. Just when she needed Alice's advice.

It then occurred to her that maybe there was someone else who could give equally good, if not better, advice.

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><p>Remus was strained. It was a mere few days until the full moon, and he was tired all the time, so he was caught off guard when Annabel came barrelling over to him in the Common Room. Sirius was also caught off guard and when Annabel suddenly said, "Hey." Sirius <em>shrieked<em> and upset the chess set, pieces scattered on the floor.

"Hey Annabel. What's―" started Remus.

"I need your help," said Annabel, effectively interrupting him. "Come on."

And with that, she and Remus were gone.

"Oh, hello Annabel," grumbled Sirius. "It's so good to see you. Oh, you want to help clean up the chess set? Nah, I got it covered. Oh, you insist? Well, in that case, be my guest. Rotten lovey-dovey kids. Always think about themselves."

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><p>Annabel pulled Remus along until they were out of the Common Room and going down a hallway before she slowed to a walk. Remus was utterly confused, but stayed quiet for about ten minutes, focusing on not passing out from exhaustion.<p>

After the ten minutes ran out, he said tentatively, "You said you needed my help?"

"Oh yes," she said absently, scratching her head. Her makeup was slightly messed up, he noticed, like she had been crying. "Er. Well―"

"Are you all right?"

She looked flustered. "I'm fine," she said a bit sharply now, smoothing down her clothing. "I just need a bit of advice."

Remus frowned. "Don't you have Alice for that?" he asked. Last he heard, Alice was some kind of master of advice.

"No, she's not talking to me." There was a bitter, resigned note in her voice. "So there's this thing … that's been happening to me …"

Remus gave her a confused glance.

"I'm ― I thought it stopped, but it didn't … I've got this problem where I'm getting this woman's memories and it's just like … I don't know, horrible."

"What memories?"

"Of this woman, who's just _psycho_, she's just insane and crazy and ― I just can't deal with this, Remus! I don't know what the hell's happening, and with Fauna and David and Alice and it's just so frustrating."

"Whoa," said Remus. "What's with Fauna and David?"

"David's in love with her," said Annabel a bit sadly.

"But isn't he dating you?"

"He's in love with her. I'm going to break up with him." Annabel shrugged.

Remus reached out and hugged her. She stiffened, as if expecting something else, and then hugged him back. "Thanks," she whispered. "I think ― I needed that."

"You know what you need to do, don't you?"

"No?"

"You need to go to Professor Dumbledore."

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><p>Annabel sat on the chair a bit uneasily in Dumbledore's wide, oval-shaped room, Fawkes crooning in his perch. Every time she looked over at the admittedly magnificent-plumaged bird, it tilted its head at her and <em>stared<em>.

She fidgeted as Dumbledore looked at her gravely over his half-moon glasses, blue eyes stern. "I presume that you had a reason for coming to me?"

"Oh! Oh yes."

She explained. She explained everything that had been happening, and Dumbledore was quiet as she talked, and it was horribly awkward and awful and when she finished, she closed her eyes in mortification.

They were quiet for the better part of a minute, and then Dumbledore said: "I believe that you've noticed something strange about Professor Feibe."

She glanced up, and he wasn't looking at her, he was looking down at his desk calmly.

"I ― yes, but ―"

"Yes?"

"She's a teacher," burst out Annabel, "and I thought that you, y'know, would've interrogated them, but …"

"I will deal with this," said Dumbledore kindly. "Meanwhile, you must go to Madam Pomfrey and ask her if you could have the extract of wolfsbane and ebonia mixed together."

"Of course," said Annabel hopelessly, seeing that even though Dumbledore knew something that she didn't, he wouldn't tell her. "Thank you, Professor." For nothing.

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><p>"It was no help!" Annabel told Remus the next morning, stabbing at her food. The small, glistening bottle of wolfsbane and ebonia was near her plate, and she was stubbornly refusing to take it. "No help ― at all ―"<p>

"I'm sure Dumbledore has a reason for what he's doing …"

"Well, I'm damned well sick of all these fucking things and ―" Annabel frowned. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

There it was again, Annabel noticed―this hollow scream in the distance. Other people were noticing it too, turning around and looking for the source. "Someone screamed!" she exclaimed, hastily hoisting up the hem of her robes and running.

And when she saw who it was, she screamed.

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><p>Lily had just been minding her own business when she head Annabel screaming, and then she began to run to the noise, pushing aside startled students and bumping into James. "What—" said James.<p>

"It's Annabel!" cried Lily, panicking.

James's hand whipped out and grabbed hers around the wrist. "C'mon!" he said, and began to run. People leapt out of the way and suddenly Sirius was there, looking very pale indeed, and Annabel was sobbing wretchedly, like her heart was being ripped into a million pieces.

"What—" said Lily.

Noelle would have appeared to be sleeping on the floor, was it not for the fact that she was blue.

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><p>"I don't understand," said Annabel, sitting in the Hospital Wing with her head buried in her hands. Remus patted her sympathetically on the shoulder. On one side was Marna and on the other was Noelle.<p>

Annabel covered her face. "I don't understand."

"Neither do I," said Remus.

Sirius was leaning against the wall, appearing almost dead to the world, eyes wide open. "Hey Moony," he said, "c'mere for a sec, will you?"

While they were talking, Annabel gathered her stuff, refusing to look at Marna or Noelle, and made her escape. She bumped into David on her way out—he must've been on his way to see Fauna.

"Oh," he said.

"Oh," she replied.

Things grew very strained just then and then Annabel sighed. "Look—David," she said apologetically, "I'm sorry."

"I am too."

She reached out and he met her halfway, burying his face in the crook of her neck as her arms wrapped tightly around him and she knew that she would always care for him in her own strange little way. "I'm breaking up with you," she whispered in his ear.

"I know," he said.

"Because you love Fauna."

"I'm sorry."

She unwrapped herself from him and kissed him on the cheek. "She'll get better," Annabel promised, feeling tears sting her eyes. "Promise."

He held her hand for a moment longer. "I'll see you around, Anna," he said with just a trace of a grin, and she laughed in a watery sort of way before turning around and setting off down the corridor with her heart a bit lighter.

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><p>Alice was still ignoring Annabel, but Annabel was just slightly glad to see that Alice was still concerned over Noelle. She was pondering that when she bumped into someone, mumbled an apology and sidestepped to the left, but the person sidestepped with her.<p>

"Er," said Annabel, looking up, and her heart froze.

It was Blake, Blake, Lily's boyfriend (of sorts) that she hadn't seen in ages, and he was looking _terrible_ if Annabel dared say so, with his hair greasy and dark, bags under his eyes and looking a year older. "Annabel," he said, and his voice was still that smooth, cheerful voice. "Have you seen Lily?"

She jabbed a finger at his chest. "Stay away from her," she said.

"She's _my_ girlfriend."

"She's _my _friend."

"I should think that she'd been in need of a bit of comfort," said Blake. "Seeing as Noelle's dead and all."

A moment later he was on the floor in a perfectly casted Petrificus Totalus and Annabel stepped over him, accidentally (on purpose) kicking him in the face. "I shall have to ask Filch to clean up the corridors," she said coldly. "There appears to be some filth on the ground."

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><p>"I smelled wolf," said Sirius to Remus, and Remus was lost. The full moon was at least a week ago—surely the werewolf scent wouldn't be as strong. "No, Moony, not werewolf. Wolf."<p>

"Like…"

"Like that girl. The really gorgeous one that we met a while ago. What was her name again?" Sirius snapped his fingers as he tried to recall the gorgeous girl's name. "Farrah!"

Remus held his head. "I'm confused."

"So'm I, Remmy," said Sirius, glancing over to where Noelle was staring at the sky. "It's like she's been Petrified, isn't it? But the mandrake elixir isn't working, innit?"

"I don't think it will," said Remus, staring at where Marna was and thinking what he could say to her if she woke up. "Anyway, aren't you, you know, just a little bit torn up about Noelle?"

"No," scoffed Sirius. "Why would I be?"

Remus stared at him and raised an eyebrow, and Sirius turned away.

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><p>At the same time that Sirius and Remus were talking about her, Farrah was gliding down the corridors. Even though her looks were far greater than the average human being, nobody seemed to notice her, and she preferred it that way.<p>

She knocked on Professor Feibe's door.

"Come in!" said Professor Feibe.

"Afternoon, Crystal," said Farrah smoothly. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Feibe—or Crystal, really—stood up nervously as Farrah came closer. "Stay back," she said warningly.

Farrah raised an eyebrow. "Now now, Crystal," she said. "You know you're still only here because of me."

"Yes, and you've already started to ruin the plan," said Crystal tartly. "You're not supposed to go willy-nilly sucking people's life lines. I insist that you restore at least some of them."

Farrah pouted. "Oh, Crystal," she said, opening her eyes wide. "Don't be such a _spoilsport_. I've been supporting your life force and you won't even let me have a bit of fun?"

"The Dark Lord—"

"Yadda yadda yadda." Farrah scowled. "The Dark Lord is but a child to the likes of me."

Crystal slammed her hands down on the table, looking quite deranged with anger. "Don't you dare talk about him that way!" she said, sounding upset. "And—and if you're so goddamn powerful, then you go take over the world!"

"Oh no no no," said Farrah teasingly. "I'm _much_ too smart for that."

Crystal harrumphed and turned away. "Well you're not doing too much good," she said pathetically. "You killed Daphne Winter and now the parents are freaking out. You _must_ at least try to release someone. How about that Noelle girl, and maybe that Marna girl?"

Farrah sighed regretfully. "Ah, well, I suppose so. That Fauna girl's got enough spirit to keep me lasting for a year." She stretched luxuriously. "At least let me keep that Noelle girl for another week?"

"Fine," relented Crystal.

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><p>Annabel was just about to sit down at the table when someone grabbed her around the waist and swung her around. "Marna's alive!" shouted Remus, delighted, happy, but Annabel was too dizzy from his touch, reveling too much in it.<p>

"What?" she sputtered. "Marna's okay?"

"The blue's fading away and she sat up and we were talking!" Remus hugged her tightly and she hugged him back, utterly delighted and at the same time, utterly confused, because Fauna hadn't woken up.

But Noelle might.

"Oh, Remus," said Annabel, resisting the urge to kiss his cheek—or kiss him, really. "That's _amazing_. How is she?"

"Weak," admitted Remus, and perhaps he became a bit conscious of how his hands were resting on her waist, because he quickly pulled them back and turned red. She coughed and looked up at the ceiling, and then at the ground, hoping that it would swallow her up.

Something cold and slick was pressed into her hand and she looked down to see that it was the extract of wolfsbane and ebonia that she had left on the table. "I picked it up," he explained, and she stared at it like she'd never seen it before. "I figured—I figured you'd might want to drink it."

"Thanks," said Annabel after a moment, before pulling out the stopper and downing the small bottle in a gulp. It was bitter and she made a face, but as the aftertaste faded there was an almost-sweet lingering flavor. "Look—Remus—"

He waited expectantly, but the words were tangled up in her mouth, cutting her tongue sharply. He waited for almost a full minute before saying gently, "Do you want to talk about this later?"

She nodded, choking on her tongue.

"All right." And then, almost hesitantly, he kissed her on the cheek before walking away.

_Fuck_.

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><p><strong>Review?<strong>


	30. Failed Killings and Apologies

**Wow. It's been, what, 4 months? I am really, _really_ sorry, good grief. On the brighter note, I've edited Chapter One and it's been replaced with the newer version. After I finish this fic, I'm planning on doing a ginormous rewrite and fixing everything, and that means that I'll probably be deleting all the chapters and replacing them with edited versions.**

**Added Note: It seems that FF has deleted some of my review replies (dammit) and I will put up the rest soon.**

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><p>Chapter Twenty-Four: Failed Killings and Apologies<p>

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><p><strong>Review Replies:<strong> **Guest:** Yes, John Green is the absolute best. His books are utterly painful to read, though. Gussss...** Queer king stephen: **hahahaaaaa just wait for the next few chapters.** Loveile:** Thank you! I find Dumbledore extremely hard to write, and I really want to make him a better character when I re-write this story. Andd...sorry, I'm not tellin' if anyone else dies.** Herbology Apprentice:** Yes, being the main character of a story really does suck. Everything conceivably bad happens to you. Thanks!** EmilyLupin77:** BLAIRE i haven't talked to you in AGES. I miss you!** Guest:** so..many..guests...Haaaaaaa, I'm that kind of writer that only makes people get together in the very, very end. Sorry. **The Coffee Club: **How sweet of you! No, I didn't have writers block, but interpersonal events made it rather hard for me to find time to write. Throw in Nano and et cetera and errrggghh. **Guest:** As you can clearly see, I have not, in fact, given up. **Kyoki no Megami**: Thank you! Have fun learning Latin.**  
><strong>

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><p>Recap: Marna (Remus's girlfriend) is blue, but starting to heal, Annabel's been having crazy memories of someone that she doesn't even know (Crystal) and took a draught to keep away the memories. Spoiler Alert: it doesn't work. Farrah's a crazy killer, Professor Feibe a.k.a. Crystal is behind all of this and she has this man called Charles who's in love with her. When they were playing Truth or Dare at James's house during Christmas, Remus reveals that he had a crush on someone in the group. Lily's kinda dating Blake.<p>

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><p>Quote: Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall in love with a gorgeous redhead. ~ Lucille Ball<p>

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><p>It was noontime on January 24th when Marna stumbled out of the hospital, pale and terribly thin but nevertheless, not blue. A girl with light brown hair, walking to the hospital wing, stopped at the sight of her.<p>

"_Marna_?" she exclaimed.

Marna looked up with a weak smile. "Annabel!" she said cheerfully. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Madam Pomfrey told me that it's January already. My parents must be _so_ worried—I get to go home to talk to them for a few days. Do you mind helping me to the Ravenclaw Tower? My stamina is not what it used to be."

"O-of course," stammered Annabel, rushing to Marna's side and putting Marna's arm over her shoulders. "How are you? Are you tired?"

"I'm fine," laughed Marna. "I just need to go pack. How's Remus?"

Annabel's shoulders stiffened slightly. "He's … well. He, uh, he checked on you every day while you were ill." She offered a smile. "He really, really does care about you."

Marna looked thoughtful.

They walked for a little while in silence when Marna said, in a quiet voice, "I saw Noelle was in the infirmary."

Annabel stumbled slightly. "Ah. Yes."

"I'm sorry."

Annabel mustered up a smile. "Nah. Hey, maybe she'll recover too. Who knows?"

Marna laughed quietly. "Who knows."

As they walked on in silence, Annabel had ample time to think about recent events. The extract of wolfsbane and ebonia that she'd drunk hadn't helped at all—the visions were worse and she currently had a pounding headache. It was like there was a party in her head. A party. Annabel's lips twitched up at the thought of little people cha-cha-ing and doing in the limbo in her head.

"Listen, do you know where Remus is?" asked Marna. "I would love to talk to him before I leave for my parents."

"Um, no," said Annabel. "But it's lunchtime. Do you want to head to the Great Hall?" She grinned. "You'd make quite an entrance. And I think it's time that Remus lays to rest his theory that I hate you."

"So you don't hate me?"

Marna's voice was vulnerable, and it made Annabel look at her suspiciously. "...No," said Annabel, and then said with more confidence, "No, I don't. I don't know why you'd think that, but I most _emphatically_ don't hate you." She grinned. "Now let's make a grand entrance to the Great Hall, shall we?"

Marna's laugh rang throughout the corridor.

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><p>There was a full moon in the next two days and Remus could already feel it taxing his strength. Right now, he was on his eighth leg of chicken while Lily watched on in amusement. "Aren't you full?" she exclaimed. "I swear, you've got a <em>bottomless<em> stomach."

Remus shrugged. "I'm hungry."

Lily looked around and then her green eyes widened and she grinned. "Well, uh, you'll want to clean up. Wipe your mouth with a napkin and swallow. Here, take a mint."

Bewildered, Remus did so. "Why, exactly?"

Lily bit her lip and then smiled.

He became aware of the Hall growing silent and he wheeled around to see what was going on, only to see Annabel walking to him and she was helping along…

…Marna.

His fork clattered from his hand and he thanked Lily fervently in his mind for making him take the mint and everything because Marna was looking absolutely beautiful, even though she was thinner than usual and paler. She was giving a tremulous smile at the sight of him and he couldn't help but smile back.

And then he realized that there must be a reason _why_ Annabel was helping her walk and he jumped from his table. "Are you all right?" he asked worriedly, taking her forearms and helping her as well.

"I'm fine," laughed Marna. "I was just coming to say goodbye, because I'm going home to spend some time with my family and recuperate." She smiled radiantly at him, and he couldn't help but kiss her.

Lily gave a girlish squeal and Annabel felt a pained smile affix itself on her face. "I'm going back to the Hospital Wing," she told Lily, and her friend's dreamy smile turned into something decidedly more worried.

"Why?" she asked. "Are you all right? No—I'm coming with you."

"You don't have to," said Annabel.

"Yes, I do!" Lily nodded. "I don't want you to be struck by the monster that's been attacking everyone recently." She shuddered. "It's terrifying, that's what it is. Give me a moment and I'll—"

"_Hello_ Blake," Annabel said through gritted teeth, thinking privately that she shouldn't have to deal with a bloody headache and Blake at the same time, as Blake was usually enough to induce a headache. He looked terrible, if Annabel was to be honest, but not nearly as awful as he looked before.

"Annabel," Blake said cooly. Annabel thought that he was a lot less flirtatious than…three or four months ago. Was it really that short of a time ago? It felt like many, many lives ago…

"Blake!" exclaimed Lily. Annabel never figured out what they were doing—were they dating? Or not? James had a sour look on his face. "Sorry, I'm escorting Annabel to the Hospital Wing."

"By all means," said Blake. "Let's go."

"No," said Annabel. "_No_. I am _fine_. Let me _go_. I need to…I need to figure something out." She stalked out, not daring to look at Remus and Marna (who were now whispering to each other and occasionally kissing) for fear that she might lose her temper entirely.

The halls were empty, and so Annabel was shocked when someone said her name.

"Annabel."

Annabel gave a squawk of fear and wheeled around. It was that unnaturally pretty girl from Ravenclaw—Farrah. "Oh," she said. "Oh, hello, Farrah. Can I help you?"

"Hmm? Oh. Yes. Maybe you can." Farrah gave a cool smile. "Will you come with me?"

"No," said Annabel.

Farrah paused. "Why not?" She gave a disarming smile that might've worked on someone else, but it didn't work on Annabel.

"Because," said Annabel. "I don't want to."

"Tough luck, sweetheart," said Farrah, and hit her on the head.

She'd moved with such, such _blinding_ speed that Annabel didn't have any time to duck, much less draw her wand. Her head whipped around and she fell to the floor, hitting the ground with a crack. She opened her mouth to scream but Farrah's cool hand covered her mouth. "Relax, honey," said Farrah. "I've been doing this thing for ages."

Annabel bit down on Farrah's hand and Farrah tore her hand away with a cry of outrage. Annabel had bitten down so hard that it drew blood, and Farrah's blood tasted absolutely terrible, like a mixture of tar and vinegar. Her blood, Annabel realized, was dark blue and iridescent. "How _dare_ you," snarled Farrah.

With her unwounded hand, Farrah lifted Annabel by the front of her robes and slammed her into the wall, so hard that Annabel's vision blurred and she moaned in pain. Farrah's face was very close to hers, and Farrah's eyes were no longer human at all—they were golden. Wolf-like.

"Oh, Merlin," said Annabel, her words slurred.

"_Stupefy!_"

A female voice cried out the incantation and Farrah reeled back. She didn't fall to the ground unconscious, but her eyes shimmered and turned back blue. She bared her teeth and hissed before crashing through a window and falling to the ground, running to the forest. Annabel collapsed to the ground. Everything seemed extremely fuzzy. The shadowy outline of the person who had saved her ran to the window and then to her.

"Annabel? Annabel! Anna, are you okay?"

It was Alice.

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><p>It was like Remus could never stay away from the Hospital. First it was Marna, and then mere moments after Marna left by Floo Powder, it was Lily running into the room screaming something about Annabel and then he and the others were running to the Hospital Wing.<p>

"First Noelle, now Annabel!" cried Sirius, looking distressed. It was commonly known that he and Annabel were good friends, even if they had strayed somewhat apart after he broke up with Noelle.

Remus didn't answer. He was busy running.

The first thing he noticed when he walked into the room was that Annabel wasn't blue at all, and he was extremely relieved. The second thing he noticed was that her face was bruised, one eye blackened. His heart pounded wildly.

She was unconscious and Alice was by her side.

It was weird for a minute and then Remus realized why exactly it was so weird. Because Alice and Annabel had a fight, but it seemed that Alice had decided to make a move of forgiveness. He still didn't know why they had been fighting in the first place.

And the last thing he noticed was something that made his heart seem to slow down just slightly. She was wearing makeup. Annabel was wearing makeup. Of course, she always wore makeup, and he didn't understand why it was such a big deal but he wished, for the second time in a while, that he could see her without makeup.

Yes, he was going psycho.

"Is she okay?" asked Remus anxiously, crossing over to her bedside. She looked extremely pale, apart from the vibrant splashes of color that her bruises created. "She's going to be all right, right?"

"Of course she will be," said Madam Pomfrey briskly. "But she needs time to rest and recuperate. Don't you fret, Miss Alice, she'll be all right in a few hours. Meanwhile, you all have classes to go to, right?"

Taking the obvious hint, they all allowed themselves to be shooed away and back to class. Remus noticed that Sirius lingered for a while by Noelle's bedside, touching her blue-tinged hand.

"Padfoot?" he asked.

Sirius looked up with a grim smile. "I'm coming." He left Noelle's bedside and didn't look back.

* * *

><p>It was evening when Annabel regained consciousness, and the first thing she saw was Alice reading a book by her bedside. Her head hurt like crazy (exactly how hard had Farrah slammed her head against the wall?) and her eyes slowly fluttered open. She felt vaguely dizzy and nauseated.<p>

For a minute, she just watched her friend and wondered if this meant that Alice had forgiven her for whatever wrong she'd done. Alice looked so extremely peaceful, sitting with one leg daintily crossed over the other and her hair tied back with a few wisps framing her round face.

She coughed and Alice looked up.

For a minute, they just stared at each other and then Annabel said, "You were the person, weren't you? You made Farrah go away."

"I did," Alice said.

"Why?"

When Alice didn't reply immediately, Annabel kept talking. "Or shall I say, why have you finally decided to insert yourself into my life after over a month of not talking to me? You know, after a month of being angry at me without me even knowing why. Was it because of something I did? Or was it … was it because of Daphne? Did she say something about me?"

Alice opened and then closed her mouth.

Annabel's head was spinning from the effort of talking and she wondered bleakly why her wounds hadn't been healed immediately by Madam Pomfrey. She rested her head back on her pillows and stared up at the white ceiling, feeling her eyes well up with tears. She fought to keep them back and won.

Alice said, in a voice that cracked, "I thought that you killed Daphne."

Annabel sat up so quickly that her head started to spin again. "_What_?"

"I know." Alice laughed bleakly. "I was so … so _stupid_. I mean, we've been friends since Second Year and I had the gall to believe that you would've actually killed one of my friends. It didn't seem so outrageous at the time, but now it really does. Annabel, I am so, so sorry. I really am."

"Oh really?" Annabel snapped. "And what finally convinced you of my innocence?"

"You."

"Really."

Alice clasped her hands together. "I'm sorry. When I saw that you were in legitimate danger, it was like everything just flew out of the window and I knew in that moment that I was such a fool to hate you. Her last word was 'Annabel' and I took that to mean that you were the murderer except now I know that that was a completely silly notion and now I think that she meant that you were going to be targeted and—" She covered her face and tried to compose herself. When she spoke again, her voice was thick with tears. "Annabel, please."

Annabel felt like she should've made Alice suffer a little more. She felt like she should throw back Alice's apology right back at Alice's pretty little face, but she couldn't do it. She couldn't physically bring herself to do it, and she was sick and tired of being in constant fights and she just wanted a bit of peace in this hectic life of hers. "Alice, stop," she said. "Alice. I forgive you. I probably should be angry, but I'm really drained and I need to go to sleep and I just want you to know that I forgive you."

Alice nodded, biting her lip. "Good night."

* * *

><p>When she woke up, it was not Alice sitting by her bedside, but Remus and Lily, talking quietly to Madam Pomfrey. "Hey," she said weakly.<p>

Lily burst into tears and threw her arms around Annabel.

When Lily had calmed down, Annabel gently patted her on the shoulder and sat up. There was a sharp pain in the back of her head and her fingers clutched the fabric of the bed tightly. Remus was watching and raised an eyebrow at her. She smiled to reassure her and it scared her how they could exchange a conversation without saying a word.

"Madam Pomfrey," Annabel said, "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but why am I still in the hospital? I don't think my wounds were _that_ severe."

"Yes, well, your wounds have been caused by a source of magic that we cannot determine," said Madam Pomfrey, fussing over her. "They appear to be healing at the regular pace, however, with no interferences."

"Wait, so they're magical?" exclaimed Lily, looking alarmed. "Shouldn't she be in Mungo's?"

"As I was going to say, Miss Evans—" Madam Pomfrey directed a very pointed look towards Lily, who looked chastened. "—Miss Foster here will make a complete recovery even if she doesn't have any magic potions to speed her along. She will only have to stay in the hospital for a few more days, and she should be as right as rain."

"Damn," said Annabel. "I am not looking forward to this."

"No swearing in the Hospital Wing!"

"Sorry, Madam Pomfrey."

Madam Pomfrey directed a severe look towards them and went off to tend to the other patients, leaving them alone. Lily looked between Annabel and Remus and then said, with a little self-conscious cough, "I'm _so_ behind on homework, so I'm going to duck out now that Annabel's getting better." She quickly hugged Annabel and left, leaving Annabel and Remus in an utterly awkward silence.

Remus was the one to breach it. "What happened?" he asked.

"Farrah happened," grumbled Annabel.

"Farrah?" A faint crease etched its way into Remus's forehead. "Oh. You mean really-pretty-but-strange girl that we—the Marauders—met once."

It somehow bothered Annabel to hear Remus call Farrah pretty. "Yes," she said a bit more waspishly than she cared to admit. "That's her."

"She attacked you?"

"Yes. She did."

Annabel looked a little more closely at him. He looked terrible; haggard, like he was older than ever. "Come here," she said, and he obliged, moving his chair so it was right by her bedside. She touched his face, concerned. "You look exhausted. When was the last time you've slept?"

"I was up studying," said Remus, looking distracted. Annabel realized that her hand was still touching his cheek and she hastily withdrew. "Are you all right? Don't lie to me — I know that your head is still hurting you."

"It hurts, yes," admitted Annabel, "but it's not as bad as before."

They lapsed into another silence after that, except this one was more comfortable as they heard Madam Pomfrey pottering about the Hospital Wing before closing herself into her office to presumably do some paperwork (Annabel suspected that the marvelous Madam Pomfrey was a secret lover of trashy romance novels).

"Can I ask you something?" Annabel asked.

"You just did." Remus's voice was deadpan, but he gestured for her to go on.

"Smartass," Annabel accused, before looking down at her hands and saying quietly, "Do you remember the Christmas party at James's?"

"Y-es." He sounded unsure of where this was going. To be brutally honest, Annabel didn't know where this was going either.

"Well. Since I'm on my deathbed and everything, I thought that you could maybe…tell me who you meant when you said that you had romantic feelings once for someone in the circle." Annabel looked up and caught his gaze. She held it steadily, and it was he who looked away.

"Why?"

"I'm curious." Annabel gave a wry little smile. "I can't help it."

He took her hand gently and his hand was extremely warm, like he was some sort of portable oven. Her heart was all fluttery and she hated herself for reacting like this. "It was Lily," he said.

That was unexpected.

"W-what?"

"It was Lily." He dropped her hand and ran both of his own hands through his thick mop of hair as Annabel stared at him, stunned. "I started liking her in Fourth Year, on account of how … how pretty and smart she was."

Annabel could sympathize. She herself had been an acne-ridden stick-figured girl in Fourth Year. Still, she couldn't stop staring, and she felt so cold all over. "But what about James?" she asked in a small voice. "I thought that…"

"He and I were friends? Always. I never chased after Lily because I knew how much he liked her. But yes. I—I don't like her anymore Annabel. I really don't. I'm dating Marna now."

He was hurting her and he didn't even know it.

"That's interesting," Annabel said and praised herself on how masterfully she took the news (she thought). She and Remus held gazes for a minute, and then Remus looked away. She wanted him gone, she realized, so she could sleep and rest. "Look, Remus, I'm _really_ tired. Do you mind if I go to sleep?"

"Of course not," Remus said. "Good night."

"Good night."

He left, and the Hospital Wing was silent. Annabel closed her eyes, but found that she couldn't sleep and just stayed there with a horrid, wretched feeling inside of her, like someone had clawed out her heart and stuffed it back into her chest upside-down. She hated it. She really did.

For a minute, she remembered that fleeting moment when Remus had kissed her on his birthday, a hazy whirl of firewhiskey and chocolate and her face screwed up and she started to cry because, well, _fuck_. She hated this, she hated Marna, except she didn't actually hate Marna, if that made any sense at all.

* * *

><p>Crystal was outraged. Completely incensed. Her plans, all of that <em>damn planning<em> and Farrah went and fucked it all up. With a wordless scream of rage, she punched the wall and didn't even care about how her knuckles split.

Charles just watched.

"Aren't you going to do anything?" she spat at him.

"Of course," he said, and hurried to heal her wounds. She watched him with narrowed eyes. He was pathetic. Utterly and completely. He may have been handsome, but a few months of roughing it out in some hick town a few miles south had made him scruffy and completely inelegant. She hated him.

However, he was essential to her plan, so she dealt with him. Crystal knew how much he adored her. It disgusted her. "Get out," she said when he was done, and Charles looked up at her, injured. "GET OUT!"

"Of course," he said, and backed out.

He hadn't understood. Of course he hadn't. When she asked if he was going to do anything, he'd went and healed her instead of damned trying to capture that damned werewolf. The full moon was tonight, and Hogwarts was on alert because of the fact that Farrah had gone and fucked up by failing to kill that girl Annabel.

Outside, however, Charles was regretting everything he'd done. She was Crystal, his beautiful, tantalizing gem and he would do anything to make her love him the way that he loved her.

And if that included capturing that girl Annabel to lure Remus into a trap, then so be it.

* * *

><p><strong>Review?<strong>


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